Provinces sign cooperation agreements with Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta has an abundance of human resources and experience to share with other provinces in the development of their local economies, Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday.

"We have numerous skilled human resources, which can be transferred to other provinces to help with their development programs," Sutiyoso told reporters after a ceremony marking the signing of cooperation agreements between Jakarta and the provinces of Lampung, North Sulawesi and South Kalimantan at City Hall on Friday.

The cooperation agreements are expected to jointly promote each province's resources: mostly the agricultural, animal husbandry, fishery, industrial, trade, and tourism sectors.

Sutiyoso signed the agreement with his counterparts E.E. Mangindaan of North Sulawesi, Gusti Hasan Aman of South Kalimantan and Oemarsono of Lampung.

Sutiyoso said Jakarta would be ready when the central government implemented the new laws on regional autonomy in the year 2001.

"Jakarta is capable of contributing 70 percent of its annual budget. The remaining 30 percent will be financed by the central government," he said.

"This kind of experience and capability can be transferred to other provinces."

The governor said Jakarta would also be an open market for products from other provinces.

"Other provinces can use Jakarta as an arena to promote their products," he said.

Sutiyoso, however, called for full cooperation among officials at lower levels to make the newly-signed cooperation agreement between Jakarta and the three provinces a successful one.

"Staff at each province should be more creative in establishing new programs for cooperation," he said.

Minister of Home Affairs Soerjadi Sudirja supported the cooperation agreement, saying that it was a good measure to help improve the welfare of the people following the prolonged economic crisis.

"This synergic approach can help improve the welfare of people in the four provinces," he said.

Soerjadi, governor of Jakarta from 1992-1997, said welfare problems were the main reasons for calls for the establishment of a federal state or independence from several restive provinces, such as Aceh, East Kalimantan, Irian Jaya and Riau.

"The people can on longer be patient waiting for the implementation of the laws on regional autonomy," the minister said.

"We expect such cooperation to increase the people's welfare and accommodate their aspirations," he said.

Soerjadi called on provincial bureaucrats to change their slow, costly and indirect habits

"Such habits should be erased to ensure the success of the cooperation agreement," he said. (05)