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)