More autonomy bills drafted<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government is preparing several bills that will bolster the
\nimplementation of regional autonomy including the one on the
\narrangement of territorial borders to avoid conflict among
\nregional administrations.<\/p>\n
\"If there is a law (on territorial borders), we will always
\nuse it as a reference,\" Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
\ntold a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission
\nII for legal and home affairs here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He also said that his office was preparing bills on the
\nrevisions to Law No. 22\/1999 on Regional Administration, Law No.
\n25\/1999 on the Fiscal Balance between Central and Regional
\nAdministrations, and Law No. 34\/1999 on the Capital City.<\/p>\n
Other bills that the home ministry is preparing included bills
\non the formation of new territories, population, civil
\nregistration, tax and retribution, regional state enterprises,
\nand social organizations.<\/p>\n
Hari said those bills would help promote the implementation of
\nthe decentralization process.<\/p>\n
The bill on territorial borders is urgently needed to avoid
\nconflicts among regional administrations.<\/p>\n
In some areas, the formation of a new regency has drawn
\nconflict among local fishermen because they were not allowed to
\ncatch fish in the waters of neighboring regencies.<\/p>\n
During the hearing presided over by commission chairman Teras
\nNarang, some legislators raised concerns on the implementation of
\nregional autonomy, especially the inability of regional
\nadministrations to deal with the various responsibilities
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
The minister disclosed that based on Government Regulation No.
\n25\/2001, inter-city roads, irrigation, junior high school
\nbuildings and literature supplies were the responsibility of
\nregional administrations.<\/p>\n
To this point, the maintenance of intercity roads and
\nirrigation was still being done by the Ministry of Resettlement
\nand Regional Infrastructure, while school buildings and
\nliterature supplies were still the responsibility of the Ministry
\nof National Education.<\/p>\n
The minister also expressed concerns over regional
\nadministrations' reluctance to take over the responsibilities.<\/p>\n
\"Some regional administrations often reject responsibilities
\nthat come with the regional autonomy arguing that they are
\nburdens to their government,\" Hari said.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, the minister also expressed concerns over
\nincreasing demands to form new regencies or provinces.<\/p>\n
He said that the implementation of the Law. No. 22\/1999 on
\nRegional Administration, also known as the Autonomy Law, could
\nprevent national disintegration.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-autonomy-bills-drafted-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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