East Java officials baffled by regional autonomy

SURABAYA (JP): Officials of the East Java provincial administration are no less bewildered by the approaching implementation of regional autonomy. They have on their plate problems of restructuring government agencies and rearranging financial and human resource affairs.

The government, for instance, has yet to decide what structure central government agencies -- such as the Central Bureau of Statistics, the National Land Agency and the National Family Planning Board -- will take at the regional level. Out of 16 ministries, only six have been restructured and relegated to regional administrations.

According to Soenarjo, secretary at the East Java provincial administration, there are currently 300,000 employees at the administration. Soon, however, 59,000 new civil servants will be transferred from central government agencies to regional administrations. These employees have always worked in East Java, but prior to regional autonomy, they were the responsibility of the central government.

"That is a large number. We can no longer accept new employees from 'central' if they are 'structural-based' because there is only limited posts and echelons," said Soenarjo. "Unless they are willing to be posted elsewhere."

Discussing the new arrangement of fiscal balance between regional and central administrations, Soenarjo said East Java contributed a total of Rp 16 trillion from tax and customs to the central government in the 19XX/19XX fiscal year. Only up to Rp 3 trillion was given back to East Java.

"It would be ideal if regions were now given back 50 percent of their total revenue," he said. "This province has a 34.7 million population but no abundance of natural resources, so of course we're going to need a large amount of funds."

The genuine regional income (Pendapatan Asli Daerah) of East Java in year 2000 is Rp 393 billion.

Soenarjo said regional autonomy was absorbing much of the officials' energy and time. Especially as a number of regencies in East Java appear ill-prepared for such a huge undertaking.

"If I asked them, they would say yes, they're ready. But what we see out there is really a cause for concern," he said.

Soenarjo said the provincial administration was leaving the final decision on regional autonomy to the regencies. "There are 11 sectors over which authority is being transferred to regional administrations. We'll just see how many sectors they are going to handle.

"I am sure there will be some sectors that cannot be handled by regency administrations, and will be returned to the provincial level of government," he added.

"This is what happens when we make plans so easily while ignoring whether they are feasible or whether we are ready for them," he concluded. (Ainur R. Sophiaan)