Provinces administrations demand right to exploit natural resource
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
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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).
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