Human resources development badly needed in regions
Human resources development badly needed in regions
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Vice President Hamzah Haz ordered on Wednesday the heads of
regional administrations to place greater emphasis on improving
human resources.
"A job is waiting for the heads of regional administrations:
to improve the quality of human resources," Hamzah said, at the
opening of a seminar on regional autonomy here.
Citing an overseas example, Hamzah said successful development
in Japan and Korea was not due to their natural resources, but
because they had improved the quality of their human resources.
The two-day seminar was organized by the newly revived
Regional Faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and
the Forum of Rectors in response to the revision of Law No.
22/1999 on Regional Administration currently being drafted by the
central government.
Hamzah said that to improve the quality of human resources,
the government would no longer force a centralized approach for
fear of hampering creativity among the regions.
Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono also spoke at the seminar, suggesting that the
heads of the regional administrations should not take the
revision as the main topic of discussion.
The discussion should focus on broader issues on regional
autonomy, he said.
"We have to assess the implementation of the regional autonomy
law," Susilo added.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno added that the
government was serious in carrying out its decentralization
policy in a bid to achieve two main goals -- empowering the
public and improving public services in the regions.
However, the minister reiterated that the implementation of
decentralization had to be carried out in stages.
The first stage, which took place from Jan. 1 through to Dec.
31 last year, was the policy's initiation period. It involved
preparing regulations, establishing the authority of various
organizations and their personnel.
The second stage, which will take place from 2002 through to
2003, is devoted to installing the policy. This will involve
changes and practical adjustments.
The third stage, which will take place from 2004 through to
2007, will involve consolidating the installed mechanisms.
The final stage will involve stabilization, which includes
evaluating decentralization.
Hari added that to support the implementation of the regional
autonomy law, the government had issued 23 laws, 34 government
regulations, and 13 presidential decrees, since Jan 1, 2001.
"There has also been the reassignment of 2.03 million civil
servants from the central government to regional administrations
throughout the country.
The government has also raised the funds allocated to regional
areas from Rp 81.47 trillion in 2001 to Rp 94.53 trillion in
2002.
Hari, whose ministry is working out the revision to the
regional autonomy law, admitted there had been different
interpretations between regional leaders and the central
government concerning articles in the law.
"The difference in opinion has caused a great deal of strife,"
he added.
Conflicting regulations:
- Article 11 of Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Administration gives
authority to the regencies to manage investment.
- Article 28 of Law No. 1/1967 on Foreign Investment gives the
central government the mandate to approve investment.
- Article 11 of Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Administration also
gives authority to the regencies to manage agrarian affairs.
- Presidential Decree No. 62/2001 gives regional agrarian offices
the mandate to manage agrarian affairs.
- Presidential Decree No. 10/2001 reinforces a ministerial decree
on the centralized management of agrarian affairs until 2003.
- Government Regulation No. 84/2000 on the guidelines of the
establishment of regional institutions. This has increased
expenditure following the joining of some state institutions in
regional areas.