Minister of Home Affairs vows to amend regional autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): Newly-appointed Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has said the smoothening out of the shaky start of regional autonomy would be one of his primary objectives, including ensuring that it would not lead to the breakup of the unitary state.

"The main basis of implementing regional autonomy is that it could lessen the disparity between the regions so they would not leave the Indonesian unitary state," Hari said here on Wednesday.

Hari knows that the implementation, which was projected to mend many of the ills of the Indonesian state, will occupy much of his attention in office.

Though it was officially launched on Jan. 1, regional autonomy has so far produced more questions than answers. There remains confusion on the extent of authority and jurisdiction regions have vis-a-vis the central government.

The main concept of regional autonomy was to provide greater authority to the regions in the fields of mining, education, manpower, farming, forest, tax and excise, forestry.

It was hoped that providing such leeway to regencies and mayoralties, government services to the public could be improved.

Regional autonomy has also raised alarm as it seems to have invoked greater regionalistic chauvinism.

Hari admitted that the new government under President Megawati Soekarnoputri is deeply concerned over these rising tendencies. He hinted that this was among the reasons why the government is amending the 1999 laws on autonomy and on fiscal balance.

"The government has noted that certain regions rich in natural resources have issued rules to help them boost their own revenue as high as possible, there seems to be a hidden mission to separate from the unitary state some time in the future," he warned.

The government's stance should not come as a surprise, as President Megawati comes from a strong nationalist background while Vice President Hamzah Haz had repeatedly lamented the course that regional autonomy had taken.

Hari on Wednesday contended that rich regions should not leave their poorer neighbors behind.

"All regions should achieve progress with a sense of togetherness. We don't want rich regions to be richer and poor ones to remain poor," he argued.

"This is why the government is trying to revise laws on autonomy and fiscal balance," said Hari, who takes over the post at the home ministry from Maj. Gen. (ret.) Surjadi Soedirdja.

Hari continues the monopoly that military personnel have had at this strategic post.

Hari also argued that regional autonomy was aimed at improving public social welfare and to encourage all regions to develop in all fields.

Hari, a retired Army lieutenant general, said the government would also review the recent establishment of new provinces and regions suggesting that some may have been created merely to provide new positions.

"The Advisory Council for Regional Autonomy (DPOD) that I am chairing will review the recent establishment of new mayoralties, regencies and provinces to cope with regional and provincial disparity," he said, without identifying which new regencies or provinces would be assessed.

At least five new provinces and dozens of regencies have been established in the past two years. (rms)