New West Sumatra governor faces daunting challenges<\/p>\n
Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang<\/p>\n
After successfully implementing the principles of good governance
\nin Solok regency, Gamawan Fauzi, who was elected West Sumatra
\ngovernor in the July 27 gubernatorial election, has vowed to
\nrepeat his feat. Gamawan was inaugurated as governor together
\nwith Vice Governor Marlis Rahman on Aug. 15.<\/p>\n
"I have the authority now, and we are going to combat
\ncorruption and give good service in the West Sumatra provincial
\nadministration," said Gamawan in an exclusive interview with The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
According to the recipient of the Bung Hatta Anticorruption
\nAward in 2004, he will allot the administration to function as
\nusual until the end of the year.<\/p>\n
"I will then evaluate the condition and prepare steps to
\neradicate corruption in 2006," he said.<\/p>\n
Gamawan led Solok regency for two terms from 1995 to 2005 and
\ngradually implemented principles of good governance in the
\nregency, such as requiring government officials to sign an
\n"integrity pact" in 2003 in which every official agreed not to
\ngive or receive anything unlawfully. Pacts were also signed by a
\nnumber of partners involved in joint projects with the regental
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
He was also successful in establishing the One Door Service
\nPlus, in which public services were performed promptly and
\ntransparently, with the public being informed beforehand about
\nfees and the time it would take to process all services.<\/p>\n
Gamawan plans to implement the same program in the West
\nSumatra provincial administration. As an initial step, he signed
\na memorandum of understanding (MOU) on corruption between the
\nprovincial administration and the Partnership Governance Reform
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Gamawan and HS Dillon, from Partnership Governance Reform,
\nsigned the MOU, witnessed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\n1,070 traditional leaders, village, district and subdistrict
\nheads, mayors and regents, in Padang on Thursday last week.<\/p>\n
He also signed an MOU with the Corruption Eradication
\nCommission (KPK) and the minister of administrative reforms in a
\njoint program to establish good governance and clean government
\nin the framework of creating an "Island of Integrity" in West
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
The first such agreement endorsed by the West Sumatra
\nadministration will be followed up by various concrete programs,
\nsuch as assisting the administration to formulate a plan, issue
\npolicies, disseminate information and assist in drafting
\nprovincial bylaws. The agreement is new to the province and is
\nnot binding to mayoral or regental administrations.<\/p>\n
"I need time to involve the mayors and regents in discussions
\nto realize it. I'm sure it will move toward that direction in
\ntime," he said.<\/p>\n
Even though the anticorruption drive is on top of Gamawan's
\npriority list, he is not focusing solely on that. The West
\nSumatra provincial administration faces a high unemployment rate,
\nlow investment climate and has an unfeasible number of civil
\nservants. The number of civil servants has reached 10,000 and is
\nno longer realistic.<\/p>\n
Unemployment and the limited number of job opportunities have
\nbecome a serious problem in West Sumatra. Every year, at least
\n15,000 graduates from a number of higher learning institutes and
\nsome 50,000 senior high school graduates enter the job market.
\nThere is only a small number of investors to create job
\nopportunities.<\/p>\n
However, Gamawan hopes to find a solution to the problem by
\nheeding people's aspirations and holding talks with various
\ncircles to prepare the Provincial Strategic Plan (Renstra), which
\nwill be initiated next year.<\/p>\n
Gamawan was born in Solok on Nov. 9, 1957. He graduated from
\nPadang's Andalas University's Law School, majoring in
\nconstitutional law and attained his master's degree at the
\nUniversity of Padang in 2002. Gamawan became the youngest regent
\nat the age of 37 when he was elected Solok regent in 1995.<\/p>",
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