Provinces administrations demand right to exploit natural resource
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta
Provincial administrations have demanded that the House of Representatives (DPR) maintain clauses in the existing autonomy legislation that allow them to exploit natural resources, especially maritime ones.
They also proposed that provincial police fall under the authority of the governor.
The demands were raised by Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso on Wednesday in his capacity as chairman of the Association of Provincial Administrations in Indonesia (APPSI) during a meeting with the House special committee in charge of deliberating revisions to the regional autonomy legislation.
Other APPSI members in attendance included Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin, East Java Governor Imam Utomo, Central Java Deputy Governor Ali Mufiz, as well as regional autonomy expert Andi Mallarangeng.
"The revisions must clearly state that a regional administration be given the authority to exploit natural resources in its jurisdiction," Sutiyoso told the meeting, presided over by Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa of the Golkar Party.
Article 20 of the government-sponsored draft revisions to Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration says regional governments "can be given" the authority, within certain limits and sectors, to exploit natural resources and marine assets.
Details of this stipulation will be made operational in a government regulation, the law says.
The governors, Sutiyoso said, demanded that the regional administrations "have the right" to exploit the resources, as the word "can" is not imperative.
The territory of a regency extends up to 4 miles from the coastline while that of a province is 4 miles to 12 miles from the coastline.
The association also rejected a clause that gives the central government authority to evaluate regional budgets.
"I think the authority to assess regional budgets is too excessive. There should be only supervision," Sutiyoso said.
Regarding the establishment of autonomous regions, Sutiyoso suggested that the move be discussed first with the public in the regions concerned so that the delineation of the new regions would be acceptable.
Commenting on the demands, legislator Alexander Litaay of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the proposal to create "regional" police would simply spark rivalry between regions and lead to national disintegration.
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of Golkar, meanwhile, suggested that lawmakers learn from the experience of the United States in endorsing the creation of "regional" police.
Ferry said that conflicts existed between the state police and federal police in the U.S.
Proposals from the provincial administrations ================================================================ 1. Election of regional heads to be administered by Regional Elections Commissions (KPUDs). 2. Local administrations to be given authority to exploit natural resources. 3. Central government to have no power to assess regional budgets. 4. Dismissal of regional heads to be set out in a separate government regulation. 5. Establishment of autonomous regions must be discussed with the public in the area concerned. 6. Provincial police to fall under supervision of the governor. 7. Association of Provincial Administrations should continue to be represented on the Advisory Council for Regional Autonomy (DPOD). =================================================================