Government to look further at Bangka and Belitung
JAKARTA (JP): The government and the House agreed on Monday to delay for a month endorsement of the bill on Bangka-Belitung province to allow a government team to check the islands' preparedness for the new status.
Panda Nababan, who chairs the House's special committee deliberating the bill, said it would be better for all sides to give the government time to verify the islands' final preparations before the bill is endorsed.
"The recheck will be conducted as the South Sumatra provincial legislative council has declined the bill's article obliging the province to bear all routine expenditures of its new neighbor during a three-year transition period as stipulated by the law on regional autonomy," he said after a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja.
The House was scheduled to pass the bill on Oct. 24.
Surjadi said the team would inquire into the islands' financial capability after the transitional period.
"The government principally supports the establishment of the new province but it needs thorough preparation so it will not raise problems for the South Sumatra province and the central government in the future," he said.
The verification will last for four days from Nov. 13 throughout Nov. 16, according to the minister.
He also said Jakarta would provide financial aid to the new province for two years after the bill is endorsed.
"After the two-year transition, the new province's administration is expected to be financially independent," he said.
Outside the meeting hall, more than a hundred people from Bangka and Belitung expressed their disappointment with the postponement of the bill's endorsement.
Komaruddin, the group's coordinator, said the islanders were disappointed because they were here to see the bill passed.
The people vowed to return to Jakarta on Nov. 21, when the province's status is formalized.
The government and the House endorsed the bill stipulating the formation of Banten province on Oct. 4. (rms)