Regional autonomy in April

JAKARTA (JP): Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simajuntak said on Wednesday that the government would start implementing the laws on regional autonomy and fiscal balance between central and local governments on April 1.

Speaking to journalists after a two-hour Cabinet meeting at Bina Graha presidential office, Marsilam said the government was finalizing all supporting government regulations as operational basis for the law.

"The regional autonomy plan will be implemented on April 1," Marsilam said without elaborating on how many regulations would be issued to support the regional autonomy law.

After the Cabinet meeting, President Abdurrahman Wahid received the governors of 27 provinces, including the newly established North Maluku province, at his office to brief them on the final preparation to give greater authority to them.

Marsilam said the President wanted to get input from the governors on the regulations needed.

The House of Representatives recently passed two laws -- Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy and Law No. 25/1999 on intergovernmental fiscal balance -- which define the greater role and authority of provincial administrations.

Under Article 6 of the Regional Administration Law, regional administrations that are not prepared to become autonomous when the law comes into force will be dissolved or merged.

While its final shape has yet to be determined, the type of autonomy for each region will be different depending on the capacity of the region.

The President has repeatedly insisted that autonomy is the best answer to resolve rebellious movements in the provinces. Under the new policy, provincial administrations will be required to hand over only 20 percent of their annual revenue from natural resources, excluding oil and gas, to the central government. (prb)