Autonomy not visible in Tangerang

Autonomy not visible in Tangerang

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The implementation of regional autonomy policy in the
Tangerang municipality has apparently still to be felt by
residents, subdistrict and district officials, although a number
of senior officials and councillors have claimed that it has
proceeded properly since January 2000.

An indication that the municipal administration has not yet
implemented regional autonomy policy has been the lack of a
delegation of authority as mentioned in the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) Decree No.XV/MPR/1998, Law No. 22/1999 on regional
autonomy and Law No. 22/1998 on the balance of central and
regional governments.

"The regional autonomy policy took effect two years ago, but
in practice, none of the 13 districts in the municipality has
received any delegation of authority from the municipality,"
Periuk district chief Edi Mulyanto told The Jakarta Post at his
office recently.

He said all districts believed that absence of authority
delegation by the municipal administration to district
administrations was caused by fear that districts were incapable
of carrying out the delegated functions, such as issuing business
and building permits or supervising development projects.

Similarly, Ibnu Jandi, director of Lembaga Kajian Publik
(Institution of Public Policy Assessment), a local non-
governmental organization, said Tangerang Mayor M. Thamrin had
not delegated his authority to district and subdistrict
administrations while the public had limited access to the
council to funnel its aspirations.

"What does regional autonomy mean if district and subdistrict
officials, as well as residents, are not involved in the
implementation of public policy designed by legislative and
executive institutions?" he asked the Post.

However, municipal administration secretary Wahidin Halim
denied that it had failed to implement the regional autonomy
policy.

"We've delegated some functions to district and subdistricts.
For example, we've allowed them to handle planning matters and to
produce their own budgets," he said.

But Busro, budget committee chairman at the municipal
legislative council, acknowledged that regional autonomy policy
in Tangerang had not yet properly been implemented.

"That's why we frequently hold meetings with officials and
citizens of districts and subdistricts to find out their
aspirations," he told the Post.