In the course of the process of Indonesia'sdecentralisation since 1999, the role of the province has taken a backseat. The euphoria of suddenly acquired autonomy to regencies and municipalities, the contest over resources, and the subsequent direct elections have somewhatover shadowed the role of the province. This paper recognises the importance of re-examining the various roles of the province from different angles:ß as prescribed by the law on regionalgovernment;ß as interpreted and implemented by provinces;ß as perceived by local governments;ß as perceived by other stakeholders at various levels.As this paper will show, this tension also relates to other issues relating to the position, roles,and capacities of the provincial government within Indonesia's decentralisation arrangement.