The purposes of this study are to (1) measure the level of the relative efficiency of educational spending in achieving the years of schooling at local governments in North Sumatra Province, (2) Compare the relative efficiency level of per capita educational spending between the parent local government and the local governments resulting from the split. The analytical method used is Data Envelopment Analysis with an output-oriented model. The approach used is a variable return to scale. In measuring efficiency, the input used is educational spending per capita, while the output used is the years of schooling. The results showed that the average level of the relative efficiency of 33 local governments in North Sumatra decreased from 2015 to 2018. In 2015, there were three relatively efficient local governments: Medan, Pematang Siantar, and Labuhan Batu. However, in 2018, only Medan is relatively efficient. The efficiency level of Labuhan Batu declined in 2018. In fact, all parent local governments and local governments resulting from split experienced a decrease inefficiency. Thus, a regional split has not succeeded in increasing the relative efficiency of local governments in North Sumatra Province.

This study aims to test the hypothesis that explains the relationship between tax revenue and government spending in six Indonesian regions. Furthermore, the units of analysis were districts and cities in each region from 2006 to 2017, and a Granger panel causality approach was used. The results showed five experienced bidirectional causalities between tax revenues and local government spending out of the six regions, namely Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and the Bali & Nusa Tenggara. Also, there was fiscal synchronisation in five regions, while the tax-spend hypothesis applies in the Papua & Maluku regions. Therefore, the local governments in these regions need to be careful in deciding actions related to increasing revenue. This can be achieved through the tax sector's optimisation and expenditure increment by encouraging public spending from the administration.

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengukur Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengukur (1) efisiensi relatif penggunaan belanja seluruh pemerintah daerah setiap provinsi di Sumatera, dan (2) efisiensi relatif penggunaan belanja pemerintah kabupaten/kota di provinsi di Sumatera tahun 2016.   Input yang digunakan ada dua, yaitu belanja langsung per kapita dan belanja tidak langsung per kapita. Output yang dipakai adalah IPM. Metode pengukuran efisiensi yang digunakan adalah Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), dengan output oriented model berdasarkan variable return to scale (VRS). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hanya dua provinsi yang relatif efisien, yaitu Kepulauan Riau dan Bangka Belitung. Kepulauan Riau menjadi provinsi yang relatif paling efisien, sebaliknya Lampung adalah provinsi yang paling tidak efisien. Sementara itu, dalam kategori pemerintah kabupaten/kota yang efisien dalam setiap provinsi, jumlah pemerintah kabupaten/kota yang relatif efisien bervariasi, hanya berkisar 1-5 pemerintah kabupaten/kota. Agar dapat mencapai relatif efisien, pemerintah daerah yang tidak efisien seharusnya meningkatkan IPM seperti yang telah dicapai oleh peer masing-masing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all regions in Indonesia have had negative economic growth. It also increased the poverty rate in the country. The government must allocate pro-growth and poverty reduction programs to maintain economic growth and simultaneously reduce poverty. This study aims to measure the relative efficiency of pro-growth poverty reduction spending of local governments in seven regions in Indonesia. This study compares the efficiency scores before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2015 to 2019 and 2020. The inputs are five types of government spending: education, health, economic, social protection, and infrastructure. The outputs are economic growth and poverty reduction. Data envelopment analysis with an output-oriented model and a return to scale variable approach is applied. The results show that the highest average local government efficiency score was in Kalimantan, with the lowest being in Sulawesi. The efficiency scores of local governments in the COVID-19 pandemic differ between regions: it remained stable in Kalimantan, increased in Java-Bali, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, and experienced a decline in Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua. The study concludes that economic growth and poverty reduction can simultaneously measure government efficiency. To be relatively efficient, local governments need to consider allocating pro-growth poverty reduction spending to improve the conditions of both outputs.

This study aims to analyze the effect of agricultural workers, education level, female workers and the role of government policies on poverty rate in Sumatra. Observations were made in 151 districts/cities in Sumatra during the period 2013-2015 and 2017-2018. The approach used is a panel data regression model. The method applied is random effect. The findings show the labor in the agricultural sector has a significant and positive effect on the poverty rate in Sumatra, while the level of education and government spending has a significant and negative effect on the poverty rate. The policy implication is that it is necessary to increase labor productivity in the agricultural sector and other industries that are more efficient. The government also needs to strengthen the agricultural sub-sector in order to have better value-added products. Optimizing and improving basic services such as education, health, economic and social.