House endorses law on 12 new mayoralties

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives passed into law on Monday a bill on the development of 12 mayoralties in eight provinces.

The law on the 12 new mayoralties was endorsed during a plenary session presided by deputy House Speaker Soetarjo Soerjogoeritno. Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Sudirdja represented the government in the plenary meeting.

The 12 new mayoralties are Lhokseumawe and Langsa in Aceh province; Padang Sidempuan in North Sumatra; Tanjung Pinang in Riau; Lubuk Linggau, Pagar Alam and Prabumulih in South Sumatra; Cimahi and Tasikmalaya in West Java; Singkawang in West Kalimantan; Batu in East Java; and Bau-bau in Southeast Sulawesi.

Surjadi said the new law would come into effect after it was signed by the President and registered in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

He said the 12 cities were developed into new mayoralties because they have met all the official requirements, as stipulated by the 1999 law on regional autonomy and on fiscal balance.

"The government submitted the bill on the development of the 12 cities into mayoralties after conducting an in-depth study and receiving recommendations from the Regional Autonomy Advisory Board (DPOD)," Surjadi said, citing economic potential, population and culture as three important factors that were taken into consideration.

The main objective to develop the 12 towns into mayoralties was to improve their population's social welfare by improving local government services, he announced.

Surjadi further added that the government would immediately appoint acting mayors to form the new mayoralties' administrative organization, including their own legislative council.

Amien Aryoso, chairman of the House's Commission II on home and legal affairs, hailed the development of the 12 new mayoralties as a sign of the government's goodwill to improve its service to the public.

"The development of the 12 new mayoralties must be seen as the government's political will to improve the public's social welfare and to develop democracy," he said.

Meanwhile, Surjadi also took the opportunity to express his disappointment that so many regents continue to publicly grumble about financial shortages despite the central government already disbursing "an adequate amount" of money to their respective budget through the general allocation funds (DAU).

"No one has been satisfied in terms of money," he remarked.

He said that the central government has disbursed Rp 60 trillion to the provinces, regencies and mayoralties in line with the launching of regional autonomy early in January 2001.

Nevertheless, he pointed out that, despite these complaints, no new region or mayoralty has yet asked to be liquidated or merged with their mother regency. (rms)