Most regions still confused over autonomy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Confusion rules the roost in the country's
\nsprawling regions following the inception of autonomy on Jan. 1
\ndue to the absence of technical rulings governing the exercise of
\nauthority in certain autonomous sectors, the Forum of Regional
\nRepresentatives (FUD) has concluded.<\/p>\n
FUD chairman Oesman Sapta said the slip-up has discouraged
\nboth provinces and regencies from taking the initiative in
\nreorganizing their respective administrative structures and
\nissuing the necessary rulings for the exercise of the new powers.<\/p>\n
"Most provinces and regencies are eager to run an autonomous
\nadministration in certain sectors but are still confused over how
\nto do it," he told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview from
\nPontianak, East Kalimantan, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Quoting reports from FUD members in the provinces, Oesman said
\nthat no basic changes had taken place in the provincial and
\nregency administration offices.<\/p>\n
"So far, no governors, regents or mayors have issued
\ninstructions to their subordinates or designed development
\nprograms and action plans either to improve their services to the
\npublic or to uphold democracy," he said.<\/p>\n
Improvement in public services and democratic life, he said,
\nwere two main indicators to measure whether autonomy was running
\nwell or not.<\/p>\n
Oesman, also a regional representative from West Kalimantan in
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly, said the central government
\nhas to issue a regulation to transfer its authority to governors
\nwho according to the autonomy law represented it in the
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
"A government regulation on deconcentration is much needed to
\nregulate the authority the central government hands over to the
\nprovinces and the latter's competence to handle cross-regency
\nadministrative matters," he asserted.<\/p>\n
He said the central government must also issue many more
\npresidential decrees on general and technical guidelines for
\nregencies and mayoralties to assist them in applying autonomy in
\ncertain sectors.<\/p>\n
"The President must issue decrees on autonomous regency
\nadministration in eleven sectors -- public works, health,
\neducation and culture, agriculture, transportation, industry and
\ntrade, investment, environment, agrarian affairs, cooperatives
\nand manpower," he said.<\/p>\n
If the regulation and presidential decrees were issued,
\nprovincial and regency administrations would have authority to
\ndraft local regulations, development programs and action plans in
\nthese eleven sectors, he said.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that regional autonomy was not aimed at
\ndecentralizing and distributing the central government's
\nauthority to the provinces and regencies but rather improving the
\ngovernment's services to the public and empowering the people in
\nall fields of life.<\/p>\n
"With regional autonomy, provincial and regency
\nadministrations therefore should not follow 'the spirit of
\ntaxing' that will certainly overburden people, but rather improve
\ntheir services to the public," he said.<\/p>\n
Jimmi Mohammad Ibrahim, former chairman of the West Kalimantan
\nlegislative council, concurred and said the provincial and
\nregency administrations in the province have yet to be prepared
\nto fully implement autonomy because of the absence of several
\ngovernment regulations and technical guidelines.<\/p>\n
"So far, no significant progress has been made in their
\npreparations for the full implementation of autonomy," he said.<\/p>\n
Up to now, many local administrations have failed to draft a
\npriority list of development programs, citing their unfinished
\ndeliberation of their respective 2001 draft budgets.<\/p>\n
Jimmi said local administrations should take the initiative in
\ndrafting general and technical guidelines and draft regulations
\non their authority in implementing autonomy in the eleven
\nsectors.<\/p>\n
"A local administration for example could deregulate the trade
\nand industry sector to empower local small and medium
\nenterprises," he said.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi Governor HZB Palaguna said one key
\nelement to the success of regional autonomy, especially in these
\nearly stages was adequate funds.<\/p>\n
He said the current Rp 232.99 billion from the General
\nAllocation Fund (DAU) to the province is only enough to cover for
\nthe province's routine expenditures.<\/p>\n
"In the wake of regional autonomy we need more funds...and we
\nhope that the central government can give an additional budget,"
\nPalaguna said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Several regencies also complained of the small amount of funds
\nallocated to them.<\/p>\n
"Besides the problem of insufficient funds, we also lack
\nregulations on the actual implementation of autonomy. We have to
\nbe creative to earn revenue," Makassar mayor HB Amiruddin said.<\/p>\n
He cited several disputes, such as the salary system for civil
\nservants working in the regions.<\/p>\n
In East Java, all 37 regencies and mayoralties here said that
\nthey are "muddling through the process" in running regional
\nautonomy.<\/p>\n
"Some 350,000 civil servants are being transferred to the
\nregions across East Java. We are now in the process of sorting
\nregulations and preparing new rules since there is no clear
\nguidance from the central government," East Java regional
\nsecretary Soenarjo said.<\/p>\n
He also added that his office is working on a list of the
\nnewly assigned civil servants and their duties.<\/p>\n
"There are many positions that are vacant and we need to place
\nthe right people in the right post and it's a very complicated
\nmatter," he said.<\/p>\n
The local administrative bureaus in East Java is being cut
\nfrom 13 to 11, while the number of agencies has ballooned from 14
\nto 21.(27\/nur\/edt\/rms)<\/p>",
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