Regents reject govt policy on overseas trip

Regents reject govt policy on overseas trip

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Association of Indonesian Regency Administrations (Apkasi)
chairman Syaukani H.R. rejected on Wednesday a government policy
that requires regional administrators and officials to secure
presidential approval before embarking on an overseas trip.

"I have heard about the new policy. If that is true, it (the
policy) contradicts the spirit of regional autonomy. I strongly
reject the move," Syaukani was quoted by Antara as saying in
Samarinda, East Kalimantan on Wednesday.

Syaukani, who is also the regent of Kutai Kartanegara in East
Kalimantan, argued that Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Autonomy
already established that regional administrations could manage
their own affairs, including the building of economic cooperation
with foreign countries.

Minister for Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Monday that
President Megawati Soekarnoputri had issued an instruction
requiring all regional officials, including governors and
legislative council leaders, to seek her consent before making an
overseas trip.

The instruction was apparently issued upon learning that most
overseas trips made by officials did not contribute to government
efforts to improve public welfare.

Syaukani said that the restriction would strangle the region's
efforts to develop their creativity and to promote self-reliance,
as advocated by the spirit of regional autonomy.

He said that overseas trips has produced some benefit for
regional administrations because they could make economic
transactions without any bureaucratic barriers.

Syaukani referred to China, where district administrations and
municipalities were allowed to foster cooperation with foreign
parties, including Kutai Kartanegara.

"So, I think presidential permission (as a requirement for an
official to make an overseas trip) is quite redundant," he said.

This year alone, East Kalimantan has recorded a large number
of overseas visits by its regional administration officials.

These visits have included trips made by Governor Suwarna AF
and an entourage of district chiefs and mayors to China and Korea
in May and June, Syaukani to China and Japan and East Kutai
regent Awang Faroek to China and Malaysia.

Kutai Kartanegara regency has received 2,000 computers as
assistance from Japan to improve the quality of the regency's
human resources.

"What is in question here is the commitment of the central
government to implementing the regional autonomy policy because
we are suspicious that the restriction might have been designed
to reinstate the old centralized system of governance," Syaukani
said.

He added that he was not afraid of being fired for his
rejection of the government's policy.

Sharing Sayukani's point of view, Balikpapan mayor Imdaad
Hamid said that the minister's radio message was against the
autonomy law because according to that law, central government
only dealt with affairs related to foreign policy, security and
defense, fiscal and monetary affairs, the judicial system and
religion.

He said that economic cooperation with foreign parties,
including overseas travel, was a matter for the regional
administrations.

"The policy will generate a lot of work for the president in
dealing with requests for permits for overseas visits submitted
by the country's 30 governors and 315 regents/mayors," Imdaad
said.

He suggested that authority to issue a permit should be
conferred on the governor if restrictions were to be imposed.

Both Syaukani and Imdaad endorsed the need to focus overseas
visits on urgent matters only.

"Meanwhile, control on the visits can be exercised by council
legislatures. There is no need to require permission from the
president," they said.