Bangka-Belitung officially declared 31st province

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja officially inaugurated Bangka-Belitung as the country's 31st province on Friday, and installed Amur Muchasim as the province's acting governor.

In a traditional and modest ceremony in the new province's capital Pangkal Pinang, Surjadi officially assigned Amur to establish an organization and structure for the province within the next six months.

"Six months is the maximum period to establish the whole structure of the province. I hope it can be finished by that time," Surjadi said after the ceremony as quoted by Antara.

"I am sure with proper preparation, residents of the province can elect a governor as soon as possible," he said.

The new province was previously a part of the South Sumatra province, and is known for its tin and pepper production. The House of Representatives passed a bill establishing the province on Nov. 21, 2000, after months of intensive lobbying.

The bill was passed less than two months after Banten was established as the country's 30th province.

The new province consists of two islands -- Bangka and Belitung -- and has about 800,000 residents. Almost 30 percent of the people in the province are ethnic Chinese, while the rest are Malays and Javanese.

The acting governor's main tasks will be to head the temporary provincial administration and facilitate the development of a provincial legislative council, which will be expected to elect a permanent governor.

Amur, along with the provincial legislative council, will be called on to draw up the new province's draft budget for the 2001 fiscal year, which is hoped will allow for the development of the new province to be completed next year.

Antara also reported that South Sumatra Governor Rosihan Arsjad handed over some Rp 65 billion (US$6.8 million) of the province's budget and Rp 29 billion of its tax revenue to the Bangka-Belitung acting governor.

He said that with the establishment of the new province, South Sumatra lost one-sixth of its assets. (dja)