Governors to gain new powers from central government

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.