House, government agree on new Banten province<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The map of the archipelago will change soon now
\nthat the House of Representatives and the government have agreed
\nto the establishment of Banten as a province.<\/p>\n
The House special committee and the government completed their
\nfour-month deliberation of the bill on the new province on
\nTuesday, with the endorsement to be formalized in a House plenary
\nsession on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Representing the government were Minister of Home Affairs and
\nRegional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja and Minister of Justice and
\nHuman Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said the establishment of Banten province would enable
\neconomic progress in the territory and better public services
\nunder a more democratic atmosphere.<\/p>\n
"We hope Banten will improve in the future. If it does not, it
\nwill mean we have made a mistake (in endorsing the bill),"
\nSurjadi, a Banten native, told reporters after Tuesday's hearing.<\/p>\n
He said other regions could follow in the footsteps of Banten
\nas long as they fulfilled all the requirements stipulated by law.<\/p>\n
After Banten, the House is set to debate bills on establishing
\nthe oil-rich Riau and the aluminum-rich Bangka-Belitung islands,
\nboth in Sumatra, as new provinces.<\/p>\n
The President must enact the Banten bill into law within 30
\ndays after the House's approval on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The establishment of Banten province will bring the number of
\nfirst-level administrative regions to 28.<\/p>\n
According to the bill's article 3, Banten will consist of four
\nregencies (Serang, Pandeglang, Lebak and Tangerang) and two
\nmayoralties (Tangerang and Cilegon), formerly parts of West Java
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The administrative area of Banten as it currently stands
\noccupies 8,200 square kilometers with a population of over nine
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
The bill stipulates that Serang will be the province's capital
\n(article 7).<\/p>\n
The composition of the legislative council of the new province
\nwill be in line with the results of last year's general election
\nin the administrative area (article 12).<\/p>\n
In the first year of its self-rule, Banten will finance its
\nroutine expenditures using part of the original West Java revenue
\ncoming from regencies and mayoralties under the old Banten
\nadministrative area (article 15).<\/p>\n
Golkar Party legislator Ali Yahya, who is also the deputy
\nchairman of the House special committee, claimed after the
\nhearing that his party had nominated him for the gubernatorial
\npost in Banten.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the government appoint an acting governor,
\nwhose job would include preparing the election of the first
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
Several Banten informal leaders and supporters of the bill,
\nincluding former managing editor of Kompas morning daily Ace
\nSuhaedi Masdupi who is now chief editor of Lippostar.com,
\nattended Tuesday's hearing.<\/p>\n
The proposal to establish Banten as a province was previously
\nrejected by West Java province. Following pressure from the
\nBanten community, the central government and the House members,
\nWest Java administration finally approved of the plan.<\/p>\n
Separately, chief of regional autonomy of the West Java
\nadministration Suherwan said the provincial government remained
\nundecided over whether to agree to transfer some of its revenue
\nto Banten province in the first year of its inception.<\/p>\n
"How can we finance another province when we lack cash?"
\nSuherwan told The Jakarta Post in Bandung on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He admitted that the House endorsement of the bill on Banten
\nprovince would be hard to accept since it would reduce West
\nJava's income. Banten administrative area contributed about Rp
\n100 billion to the province's original revenue.<\/p>\n
However, he promised his administration would help the new
\nprovince establish its infrastructure and personnel.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people will attend the House plenary session on
\nWednesday, with Tangerang Council reportedly providing four buses
\nto transport them.<\/p>\n
They said the establishment of Banten province would clear
\nadministrative barriers which in the past obliged them to make
\nfrequent trips to the provincial capital of Bandung. (25\/41\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-government-agree-on-new-banten-province-1447893297",
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