S. Kalimantan governor reports on performance<\/p>\n
Juliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan<\/p>\n
South Kalimantan governor Sjachriel Darham presented on Thursday
\na progress report on his administration's performance in 2002 to
\nthe provincial legislative council.<\/p>\n
In a plenary session, at which the provincial legislature
\nchairman was absent, the governor claimed to have achieved some
\nprogress in many areas over the last 12 months, so the provincial
\nlegislative had no real reasons not to accept it.<\/p>\n
He said his administration had generated a higher increase in
\nthe province's revenue than the original target.<\/p>\n
\"The province's revenue reached Rp 542.1 billion, an increase
\nof Rp 4 billion over the targeted Rp 538 billion, while the
\ngovernment's income reached Rp 212 billion, an increase of about
\n15 percent above the targeted Rp 191.6 billion. The province's
\nincome from the fiscal balance of the central government reached
\nRp 285.5 billion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the government's income rose by almost 80 percent to
\nRp 212 billion last year, from Rp 130.7 billion in 2001.<\/p>\n
\"We have also made improvements in the province's
\nexpenditures. According to the 2002 budget, the provincial
\nadministration allocated Rp 313 billion to cover all routine
\nexpenditures in 20 sectors, but we have saved more than Rp 39
\nbillion from this area, while from a total of 146 development
\nprojects we have saved Rp 42 billion. All the funds will go to
\nthe 2003 budget,\" said Sjachriel, who received applause from a
\nnumber of councillors.<\/p>\n
The governor challenged the provincial legislative council to
\naudit the progress report if they found any irregularities in the
\ndistribution of the budget.<\/p>\n
\"So, we are optimistic that the provincial legislative council
\nwill accept the progress report without comment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sjachriel has been involved in a serious rift with the
\nprovincial legislative council over the council's decision to
\ndismiss him last August. The governor was impeached in a plenary
\nsession, but Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno ruled it out.<\/p>\n
According to the regional autonomy law, a provincial
\nlegislature has no authority to impeach a governor, who is
\nappointed by the president.<\/p>\n
According to Government Regulation No. 108\/1999, a provincial
\nlegislature could recommend the dismissal of a governor if the
\ngovernor's progress report is rejected or he is involved in
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
Mansyah, a strong opponent of Sjachriel, was unable to attend
\nthe plenary session over which he was to preside, because he was
\nin Jakarta attending the meeting of the Association of
\nIndonesia's Provincial Legislative Councils.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Golkar Party faction, Addy Chairuddin, and
\nthe chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, were
\nalso absent from the plenary meeting.<\/p>\n
Addy said the Golkar Party faction would not join in
\nevaluating the governor's progress report, because the
\nlegislature had yet to enforce its decision on the governor's
\ndismissal.<\/p>\n
\"According to my faction and the council's decision, Sjachriel
\nis no longer governor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dahri concurred and lambasted councillors attending the
\nplenary session, saying their actions betrayed the legislature's
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
Yusri Assaid, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, called for the establishment
\nof a special committee to evaluate the governor's progress report
\nobjectively.<\/p>\n
The council was scheduled to announce their acceptance or
\nrejection of the governor's progress report in mid-April.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/s-kalimantan-governor-reports-on-performance-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}