Provinces sign cooperation agreements with Jakarta

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)