Deadline set for inventory of regencies and mayoralties

Deadline set for inventory of regencies and mayoralties

JAKARTA (JP): Regencies and mayoralties will have to complete
the inventory of their authority and development programs by Nov.
1 this year before the regional autonomy law takes effect in
three months, an official said on Tuesday.

Director General for Public Administration and Regional
Autonomy Soedarsono said the three-month spell would allow
regencies and mayoralties to draw up regional budgets, which must
receive approval from their respective legislative council before
the full implementation of the Regional Autonomy Law on Jan. 1,
2001.

"By November 1 regencies and mayoralties will have to finish
the inventory of their authority, design their own development
programs and arrange their personnel policy so that they could
focus on drafting the budget during the remaining period before
the implementation of regional autonomy," Soedarsono said in the
closing ceremony of a consultative meeting between local
administration officials and legislative councils here.

He said each regency will propose its own budget, depending on
the size of its territory as well as demographic and financial
conditions.

"The central government will earmark Rp 56 trillion for
regencies and mayoralties from the 2001 state budget to be spent
for general allocation funds to implement the regional autonomy,"
he added.

The country is divided into over 350 regencies and
mayoralties.

He said regencies and mayoralties will risk being classified
as unable to take over authority from the central government as
stipulated in the Government Regulation No. 25/2000 if they fail
to meet the deadline, according to Soedarsono.

"If that happens, those regencies or mayoralties should return
the authority to provincial administrations or the central
government," he said.

Without identifying, he acknowledged several regencies,
especially newly-developed ones, as not yet ready to fully
implement the autonomy due to financial and human resource
shortages.

According to the 1999 law on regional autonomy, regencies and
mayoralties are given the authority to run their own
administration, except defense, foreign policy, courts, religious
and monetary affairs, to better the people's social welfare.

Soedarsono warned against possible problems resulted from the
subsequent relocation of administrative personnel from the
central government to provinces and regencies.

"The planned personnel relocation is a sensitive issue and it
could raise a serious problem if it is not well-managed," he
said.

An influx of state employees to provinces and regencies is
expected to take place as a consequence of the regional autonomy.

The consultative meeting recommended on Tuesday that the
government extend the provision of job allowances for state
employees who are moving to provinces and regencies but no longer
hold positions to six months after the inception of the regional
autonomy.

Soedarsono also said the government would issue a presidential
decree regulating an indiscriminate personnel recruitment by
local administrations.

"The implementation of the regional autonomy must be conducted
in the context of the unitary state," he said.

On fiscal decentralization, Soedarsono said the government
would issue five more regulations in the near future on regional
financial management and accountability, financial assistance,
fiscal balance and information on financial conditions.

"The draft regulations jointly drafted by the home affairs and
regional autonomy ministry and the finance ministry are waiting
for the President's approval," he said. (rms)