All 364 regencies prepared for regional autonomy: Apkasi
All 364 regencies prepared for regional autonomy: Apkasi
JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Regency Administration
Association (Apkasi) asserted that, despite prevailing
skepticism, all 364 regencies in the country are prepared to
implement regional autonomy on Jan. 1.
"All 364 regencies have been preparing for the planned
decentralization of authority across eleven fields to better the
peoples' social welfare and uphold democracy," Apkasi Chairman
Syaukani told journalists here on Friday.
Syaukani dismissed those who have expressed hesitancy by
claiming that most regencies are not prepared.
He suggested that such doubt was intentionally aired to show
the central government's reluctance to decentralize its
authority.
"Like it or not, the central government has no alternative but
to implement the decentralized governmental system to ease
problems threatening national unity," Syaukani said.
"Regional autonomy is a national decision that has to be
implemented to narrow the disparity between the local and central
governments and to better the peoples' social welfare," he added.
With the autonomy, regencies will have authority in eleven
fields, including health, education, cooperatives, forestry,
trade, agriculture and mining, while the central government will
maintain its authority in foreign affairs, defense, the economy,
justice, and religious affairs.
Syaukani, also regent of Kutai in East Kalimantan, pointed out
that a number of state ministries and government officials have
been reluctant to decentralize their authority so that they can
continue enjoying financial benefits under the current system.
"It is now time for local administrations to enjoy the
autonomy as a fruit of the reform movement. Under the autonomy,
the government is expected to be more democratic, its service to
the public will be improved, and the peoples' social welfare will
be improved," he said.
He noted that numerous government officials have made a number
of new decisions in the economic, fiscal and forestry fields to
indirectly bolster the central government's authority in these
areas.
"Regents are surprised with the Forestry Ministry's recent
proposal for the establishment of state-owned companies to take
over forest concessionaires in the hope that the ministry will
retain its authority in the forestry field," he claimed.
Syaukani acknowledged that it was quite a giant leap from a
centralized system to a decentralized one in such a short period
without sufficient time for preparations, but said the government
has no alternative but to execute the changes in order to salvage
national unity.
"We will take a learning by doing approach while implementing
the autonomy," he said, adding that the autonomy was the central
government's initiative to redeem sins it committed in the past.
He said that with the autonomy, regencies and provinces were
expected to be eager in upholding the supremacy of law and
restoring law and order, two basic requirements for economic
recovery and growth.
To date 15 government regulations have been issued to enforce
the 1999 laws on regional autonomy and fiscal equity. (rms)