Dutch interior minister questions city autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): Decentralization of the Jakarta administration was among the topics questioned Saturday by the Interior Minister of the Netherlands Hans F. Dijkstal.

While visiting Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, Dijkstal wanted to know about decentralization of the Jakarta administration and the effectiveness of the municipality's autonomy.

A municipality press release quoted Surjadi as saying that provincial autonomy did not include defense, finance, international relations or the judiciary.

"However delegation of central government matters are gradually increasing in line with the capability of each province," City Hall spokesman Soesilo Darmoadji wrote, quoting Surjadi.

The central government delegate's its authority according to how much money it had for development, Surjadi told Dijkstal.

Surjadi referred to the 1974 law number 5 on provincial administration and 1990 law no. 11 on Jakarta as the country's capital.

The 1974 law rules that governors or heads of provinces have sole authority in their jurisdictions.

But a high ranking city official said earlier that the influence of "too many governors in Jakarta" often hampered the municipality's ability to make decisions. He was referring to private and official interests.

The source, who requested anonymity, said a lack of expertise among officials meant they could not counter these parties.

To overcome this problem, the source said, the municipality worked with academics and professionals to plan projects. For instance, it had a team of architects to draw up building guidelines for on-going and planned superblock projects such as the Sudirman Business District on Jl. Jend. Sudirman.

The guidelines would ensure that developers provided sufficient public space.

Minister Dijkstal said Saturday the city's problems, which Surjadi described, were somewhat similar to those in Dutch cities.

He said the Netherlands was trying to increase development outside cities to reduce the inequity between native Dutch citizens and immigrant minorities.

Dijkstal said he hoped Dutch cities could help Jakarta solve its problems through increased investment, trade and staff exchanges.

The Minister, who is also the deputy Prime Minister, the Dutch ambassador Paul Reitze Brouwer and experts from Leiden University were among the group which met Surjadi. (anr)