Mar'ie: Provinces must be given the widest possible autonomy'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad said
\non Thursday that he supported autonomy for the provinces as it
\nwould help avoid a repetition of the neglect experienced by
\nprovinces outside Java and Bali.<\/p>\n
Addressing the Indonesian Moslem Congress in Pondok Gede, East
\nJakarta, on its third day, Mar'ie did not mention the term
\n\"federation\", which has become a hot topic of late, but said the
\ngovernment needed to give provinces \"the widest possible
\nautonomy\".<\/p>\n
While people have been debating the possibility of
\ndisintegration if a federal system was introduced, several
\ngovernors have urged a larger share of revenue for their natural
\nresource-rich provinces regardless of status.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie said provinces outside Java and Bali should be given
\nautonomy to develop their own economy, \"including the management
\nof their natural resources\", he said.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie told some 300 participants that about 62 percent of the
\ncountry's total population of 202 million live in Java and Bali,
\nwhich make up only 7 percent of the country's land.<\/p>\n
Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi
\nand Irian Jaya make up about 58 percent of the country and are
\nonly inhabited by 11 percent of the population.<\/p>\n
This, Mar'ie said, has caused centralization not only in
\nadministration but also in economic development and distribution
\nof the fruits of development.<\/p>\n
\"It has also centralized political power and authority in Java
\nand Bali,\" the founder of the Indonesian Transparency Society
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The congress, which ends on Saturday, was organized by the
\nIndonesian Ulemas Council. Thousands gathered at the opening of
\nthe event in a show of unity versus disintegration.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie further said the political elite should admit to its
\nmistakes to restore people's trust in the government.<\/p>\n
Outside the forum, he cited that one indication of the lack of
\ntrust was the fluctuation of the rupiah.<\/p>\n
He also said people's aspirations should be institutionalized
\nto avoid conditions worsening, including the possibility of
\nchaos.<\/p>\n
In his speech on \"Empowering Moslems' economy\", Mar'ie noted
\nthat small-scale enterprises were a potential asset to economic
\ndevelopment. Government help was needed to bridge small-scale
\nenterprises with more sophisticated businesses, he said, besides
\nthe help of export firms to sell products.<\/p>\n
\"I hope this congress will initiate a working group to realize
\nsuch empowerment among Moslems,\" Mar'ie said. (01)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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