North Tapanuli expects to establish new regency
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
The North Tapanuli regency administration and local legislature (DPRD) are expecting the central government in Jakarta to support the local people's aspiration to establish Humbang Hasundutan regency, formerly part of North Tapanuli, early next month.
As part of the political pressure, North Tapanuli Regent R.E. Nainggolan on Wednesday visited to the provincial capital of Medan seeking support from the provincial legislature.
"The establishment of the Humbang Hasundutan regency is the willingness of the people. The area is a remote place, but it has a huge potency," Nainggolan told reporters after a meeting with Ahmad Azhari, speaker of the provincial legislature here.
Nainggolan revealed that North Tapanuli's district legislature and himself as a regent had endorsed the plan at a plenary session early this month.
The agreement was later submitted to the home minister, the North Sumatra Governor, and the North Sumatra's provincial legislature.
Speaking after the meeting, Ahmad Azhari expressed his support to the demand, promising he would soon invite fellow councillors to expose the proposal.
"We support the plan to establish a new regency of Humbang Hasundutan since the regent and the regional legislature have agreed. We will just give recommendation to the home minister," Azhari said.
Nainggolan disclosed that Humbang Hasundutan was an area that had numerous crops, including coffee, and mining.
He emphasized that the natural resources of Humbang Hasundutan contributed Rp 3.5 billion (US$388,888) each year to the original revenue of the North Tapanuli regency.
The total original revenue of the North Tapanuli regency could reach Rp 7.6 billion each year.
The new regency will consist of nine subdistricts, namely Baktiraja, Doloksanggul, Lintongnihuta, Onanganjang, Pakkat, Paranginan, Parlilitan, Pollung and Sijamapolang.
The capital of the new regency will be in Doloksanggul.
The nine subdistricts cover an area of 3,335 square kilometers consisting of 115 villages with a population of about 165,702 people.
The current regency of North Tapanuli will only have four subdistricts after the separation.