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.