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.