Regents, mayors told to close Jakarta offices

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Governor Rizal Nurdin ordered on Monday that regental/municipal representative offices of North Sumatra in Jakarta be closed to raise efficiency.

Emerging from a briefing for all 23 North Sumatra regents and mayors, the governor said the representative offices had been useful for accommodating local officials visiting Jakarta.

"But in recent years, the offices have been abused by local and central officials, councillors and legislators as venues for lobbying sessions, which often turned into corruption schemes," he said.

The briefing follows a recent national meeting of governors in Jakarta called by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who told the senior officials not to spend lavishly on trips abroad or to the capital, and instead focus on regional issues.

Susilo also urged the governors to close their regental/municipal offices in Jakarta, which number over 100.

Indonesia has more than 400 municipalities and regencies.

North Sumatra has two regental/municipal offices in Jakarta, representing the Central Tapanuli and Simalungun regencies.

Although he would shut down the two representative offices, Rizal said the provincial representative office would remain.

"North Sumatra is represented in Jakarta through this office," he said.

Separately, Central Tapanuli Regent Tuani Lumban Tobing said his administration was ready for the closure of its Jakarta office, and rejected suggestions that the office had been used as a meeting point for graft transactions.

Meanwhile, Medan Mayor Abdillah hailed the initiative by the President and its implementation by Rizal. Abdillah said the Medan administration had long ago decided not to open a representative office in the capital.

"If we opened such an office, its maintenance would be costly. When we are in Jakarta, we prefer to stay in the office of the North Sumatra provincial government," he said.