desakelurahan

Desakelurahan is a term used in Indonesia to refer to the lowest-level administrative unit at the village level, generally describing the governance tasks that occur at both desa (rural village) and kelurahan (urban village) within a kecamatan (district). In formal law, desa and kelurahan are distinct categories of administrative villages with different leadership and regulatory frameworks. Desa is typically led by a Kepala Desa elected by residents and supported by a village consultative body (Badan Permusyawaratan Desa), while kelurahan is headed by a Lurah and operates under urban village administration with a different set of staff and arrangements. The expression desakelurahan is not a separate legal entity in most national statutes; rather, it appears in policy discussions and local government documents as a shorthand for the combined responsibilities and governance tasks at the village level, regardless of whether the area is rural or urban.

In practice, governance and budgeting continue to follow the status of desa or kelurahan, with village budgets (APBDesa) for desa and corresponding urban village funds within city or district budgets. Some reform discussions consider desakelurahan as a way to streamline service delivery, harmonize data, and reduce duplication across rural and urban villages, especially in peri-urban zones. Critics caution that a unified desakelurahan could complicate election rules, staffing, and accountability.

Despite these discussions, the term remains primarily a planning concept rather than an official nationwide administrative layer. It reflects ongoing efforts to harmonize governance at the village level in Indonesia.