Autonomy program to go ahead
Autonomy program to go ahead
JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to go ahead and give greater autonomy to 26 regencies next week despite objections from two government ministries.
State Minister of Administrative Reform T.B. Silalahi said yesterday that the central government's pilot project will hand over more tasks and responsibilities to the regencies and will be launched by President Soeharto on April 17.
The Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Religious Affairs are the only two government agencies still opposed to handing over their affairs to local governments.
The Ministry of Education and Culture dropped its objection at the last minute after securing assurances from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the regencies.
Under the plan, each of the 24 agencies representing the central government's ministries in the regencies will be put directly under the command of their respective regency chiefs. They will no longer take their cue from the central government.
Silalahi said that the ministries in Jakarta will retain some control over the direction of these offices, especially during the transition period.
The Ministry of Education and Culture was reluctant to hand over the administration of the welfare and career of teachers on its payroll.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs is still opposed to the autonomy idea, which it fears may upset the harmonious coexistence of the country's religious groups, according to earlier press reports.
The Ministry of Information is concerned that losing control over the region might undermine its chief task of strengthening the people's sense of nationalism.
Addressing these concerns, Silalahi expressed his belief that granting regional autonomy will strengthen national unity and not lead to the disintegration of the nation.
The regional autonomy plan, he argued, will encourage people to participate in development programs, bring about more local development and exploit the economic potential of the regions. "All of these will strengthen national unity," he added.
On a separate occasion, the Ministry of Education and Culture's Director General for Elementary and Secondary Education, Zainal Arifin Achmady, confirmed that the ministry has already reached a number of agreements with related ministries.
"Whether or not we have agreed to delegate certain responsibilities to local authorities is no longer the issue, he said. "What's important is that everybody understand the significance of education."
Silalahi said more talks are planned with the ministries of information and religious affairs to address certain issues and concerns.
To support the regional autonomy plan, the local legislative councils must also strengthen their role in overseeing development in their respective areas, he said.
They must not let the regents become "little kings". The councils must also be more cautious in electing their regents, he said.
Silalahi met with a number of public figures and experts yesterday to discuss the regional autonomy plan. Taking part in the meeting were Loekman Sutrisno, Afan Gaffar, Amin Rais, Sofyan Effendi from Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University and Amir Santoso, Bintan Saragih, and Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti from the University of Indonesia.
The experts endorsed the plan, Silalahi said.
The pilot project is the first clear effort to implement Law No.5/1974, which requires the central government to hand over greater autonomy to the regions.
It is not immediately clear how long the pilot project will last, but Silalahi said that if they prove successful, the idea will be applied to all regencies.
President Soeharto was originally scheduled to inaugurate the project on April 3, but had to postpone the launch until after his return from an overseas trip to Germany and several Central Asian states. (29/pwn)