Regional autonomy in April

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)