Officials look to Kalimantan prospects

Officials look to Kalimantan prospects

JAKARTA (JP): An East Kalimantan official said on Wednesday
many highly educated government officials from Jakarta had asked
to move to the province in the expectation of better career
prospects.

Head of the province's mining and energy office Isdiardjo said
the officials believed they would have a better career in the
province than in Jakarta once the government gives autonomy to
the resource-rich province.

East Kalimantan is home to dozens of coal, oil and gas
companies.

"About 25 governmental officials with master degrees in
various disciplines, including mining, have asked to move to the
province, despite the fact that the autonomy policy has not yet
been implemented.

"A larger number of officials could follow suit once the
autonomy policy is implemented," Isdiardjo said.

The House of Representatives has approved the autonomy law,
which will give greater autonomy to the province in economic and
political matters. It also approved the intergovernmental fiscal
balance law which will give the provinces a large share in the
government's natural resource earnings.

The laws will be implemented starting from the fiscal year of
2000/2001.

Analysts believe the laws will create new centers of economy
outside Java and lure people to the provinces to fill a shortage
of skilled human resources. (jsk)