Governors to gain new powers from central government
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The central government is set to hand over 19 powers currently held by the Ministry of Home Affairs to governors to empower them to maintain stability in the provinces and to help make the implementation of regional autonomy a success.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the granting of the new powers was based on the increasing numbers of complaints that regents are undermining governors, who are the main agent of regional autonomy, and playing too small a role in implementing autonomy.
"Following the implementation of regional autonomy, governors have given up some powers, although in their capacity as representatives of the central government, they should have more authority to facilitate the implementation of autonomy and to supervise the central government's policy in the five sectors excluded by the autonomy law," he said in a press conference, after the closing ceremony of a two-day governors' meeting here on Wednesday.
The regional autonomy law launched in Jan. 2000 excludes five sectors that continue to be handled by the central government and governors. The five fields are defense, monetary affairs, courts, foreign policy and religious affairs. Besides supervising the five fields, governors are also authorized to handle inter- regency affairs in all fields.
Unlike previously, regional autonomy has decreased the power of governors to run the provincial administration, because the regional autonomy law focuses on the handing over of power to regencies and villages.
In running their administrations, almost all regencies have skipped governors and gone directly to Jakarta to seek solutions to any problems they may have in running the administration. Many regencies have even issued rulings and bylaws to implement autonomy without consulting governors.
"In the future, regencies will have to ask for advice from governors, or even secure approval, should they want to hold joint agreements with foreign parties, including foreign debt agreements or foreign loans," Hari said, referring to one of 19 responsibilities that will be handed over to governors.
"Currently, several regencies have held such agreements with foreign parties without approval from their governors," Hari said, without elaborating.
According to Hari, the 19 prominent powers include supervising the issuance of licenses, supervising the making of rulings and bylaws and the monitoring of important assets in the province.
The 19 powers to be handed over to governors comprise: (1) Supervising the issuance of licenses, (2) Coordinating information among regencies, (3) Maintaining security and public order, (4) Maintaining the unitary state of Indonesia, (5) Registering the population, (6) City development planning and controlling, (7) Informing the public of the national political system, (8) Supervising cooperation with foreign countries or third parties, (9) Informing the public of rulings and bylaws, (10) Supervising the implementation of city management, (11) Informing the public of village rulings, (12) Supervising the fiscal balance between regions and the central government, (13) Encouraging regional development, (14) Providing technical assistance to regencies, (15) Supervising the handing over of authority to the regencies, (16) Supervising law enforcement, (17) Evaluating the running of the city administration, (18) Inducting new regents and mayors, (19) The handling of specific matters.