Decentralization key to development planning: Minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of National Development Planning
\nGinandjar Kartasasmita said yesterday that the decentralization
\nof development planning should be boosted in order to achieve the
\nobjectives of the national development program.<\/p>\n
\"We have learned from other countries' and our own
\nexperiences in the past that effective development planning
\nshould be carried out with greater involvement of provincial and
\nlocal planning agents,\" Ginandjar said in his keynote speech at
\nthe launching of the Magister Program for \"Planning and Public
\nPolicy\" at the University of Indonesia yesterday.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar, who is also chairman of the National Development
\nPlanning Board, said that decentralized concepts are more
\neffective because they focus on regional approaches, as compared
\nto a sectoral approach which tends to be the result of
\ncentralized planning.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is a very big country and we have limited
\ncapabilities to make good plans for each part of the country,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that the involvement of local planning agents is
\nimportant because they are more aware of the particular needs of
\ntheir regions.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar acknowledged, however, that it takes time to
\nimplement decentralized planning owing to a lack of professional
\nplanners at the local level and difficulties in overcoming
\nbureaucratic attitudes.<\/p>\n
Therefore, according to Ginandjar, provincial and local
\nplanning agents should improve the quality and quantity of their
\nplanning staffs.<\/p>\n
\"Even in my office, we still need more qualified staff members
\nto handle a lot of jobs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Without elaborating he confirmed that some bureaucrats from
\ncertain sectors are still unwilling to implement a decentralized
\napproach.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar said that in line with increasing globalization
\ntrends, coupled with expanding international and intra-regional
\ntrade and the development of technology, the dominant role in
\nfree market economies is shifting from the government to the
\nprivate sector.<\/p>\n
In such circumstances, development planning must also be
\nadjusted to take into account the new dominant segment of the
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
\"It suggests that the government cannot undertake direct or
\n`imperative' intervention in the private sector. Instead, the
\ngovernment should indirectly support the private sector through
\ncertain measures like monetary or fiscal instruments,\" Ginandjar
\nargued.<\/p>\n
He particularly noted that the expansion of private
\nparticipation in national development will force decision makers
\nto improve transparency and the quality of plans.<\/p>\n
\"The key concept is the mobilization of private participation
\nnot only in the implementation of policies but also in the
\nplanning stage.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, academician Anwar Nasution, in his speech entitled
\n\"Government and Market Mechanisms Following the Economic Reforms
\nsince the 1980s\", argued that despite deregulation, the
\ngovernment still has an active role in resource allocation within
\nthe Indonesian economy.<\/p>\n
Anwar criticized that the objective of state intervention in
\nthe economy is often associated with rent seeking activities and
\npatrimonialism.<\/p>\n
\"This is in contrast to Japan and other countries like Hong
\nKong, Taiwan and Singapore, where intervention is aimed mainly at
\nmaximizing long-term economic welfare,\" he contended.<\/p>\n
He said that in the case of Indonesia, many strategic
\nindustries and projects are probably generating few pecuniary and
\ntechnological benefits.<\/p>\n
The government, according to Anwar, distributes the rents as
\ngive aways without demanding responsibility from their recipients
\nor penalizing poor performers. (alo)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/decentralization-key-to-development-planning-minister-1447893297",
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