East Java the best prepared for autonomy, says Affan<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): East Java is province best prepared for
\nautonomy, despite certain problems that must be dealt with by the
\ncentral government, a government official said here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Affan Gaffar, an assistant to the state minister of regional
\nautonomy, said in a one-day meeting with the province's regents,
\nthat the province had made strategic and appropriate steps to
\nanticipate regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
"The restructuring of ministries' offices and sharing of
\nprovincial revenues have been well prepared. The province has
\ntaken the right steps," Affan, who is a lecturer at Yogyakarta's
\nGadjah Mada University, said.<\/p>\n
He said, however, the sharing of tax revenues between the
\ncentral government and the province was as yet unclear and
\nawaiting central government approval. "Regulation No. 25\/1999 on
\nfinancial sharing between the central government and the
\nprovinces has yet to accommodate the provinces' demand.
\nRegulation No. 18\/1997 on taxation should be revised to support
\nthe implementation of the regulation on financial sharing."<\/p>\n
The draft of the revision of regulation No. 18\/1997 will be
\nsubmitted to the House of Representatives in September, he said.<\/p>\n
The revised regulation should be fair in accommodating
\nprovinces, Affan said. "Provinces in Java are not as rich in
\nnatural resources as Riau, Aceh, East Kalimantan or Irian Jaya.
\nIf revenues from natural resources only go to the provincial
\nadministration, provinces in Java will get nothing."<\/p>\n
Speakers of all provincial legislative councils also attended
\nthe meeting at the Grahadi gubernatorial hall.<\/p>\n
Law No. 25\/2000 on autonomy was signed by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid on May 6, 2000.<\/p>\n
The regulation, designed to delineate authority to regional
\nautonomy in 2001, divides authority between central government
\nand provinces in 23 fields, including agriculture, maritime,
\nmining and energy, forestry and plantations, industry and trade,
\ncooperatives, investment, tourism, labor, health, education and
\nculture, social affairs, spatial planning, land, residential
\nsettlements, public works, communications\/transportation,
\nenvironment, public administration, development of regional
\nautonomy, fiscal balance, information and laws.<\/p>\n
Observers have said that the regulation is not designed as a
\npower-sharing scheme between the central government and the
\nprovinces, but rather as a way of promoting democracy and an
\nequitable distributing wealth between the two.<\/p>\n
Another speaker at the meeting, Ramlan Surbakti, said that
\nthere had been tendency for provincial councillors to deny annual
\nreports made by regents or mayors in a bid to topple them.<\/p>\n
"According to regulation No. 22\/1999 on regional
\nadministration, such reports are progress reports containing
\nbudgetary and administrative policy administration. Any
\nshortcomings in the reports must be corrected," said Ramlan, who
\nis an expert staff to the state minister of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
"Requests to unseat regents or mayors can be made by
\ncouncillors if indications of a crisis of trust among the people
\nare found or after their accountability reports at the end of
\ntheir tenures. The president has the right to dismiss regents or
\nmayors. Councillors must be aware of this before the regulation
\non regional autonomy takes in effect in 2001," Ramlan said.
\n(nur\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-java-the-best-prepared-for-autonomy-says-affan-1447893297",
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