East Java officials baffled by regional autonomy

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)