Riau Islands still have long wait: Hari

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Wednesday that establishment of the Riau Islands province had been postponed because the bill needed further revision to help develop the Riau Islands regency into a new province.

"We do not reject the idea but there are some steps and requirements for the regency to be converted into an autonomous and definitive province. That's why we need to guide them through the revised transitional provisions, chapters, and articles in the bill," Hari said.

A plenary meeting of the House of Representatives (DPR) unexpectedly delayed last Friday the establishment of the province of Riau Islands, despite unanimous support shown earlier by all nine factions in the legislative body.

The minister said that it might take three years to five years for the regency to make the necessary preparations.

He cited that lack of support from Riau's provincial legislature and administration was the greatest hurdle for the Riau Islands regency to overcome to realize its dream.

"The regency's revenue is estimated to reach Rp 82 billion (US$9.1 million) per year while it usually receives some Rp 500 billion from Riau's budget," Hari said, while adding that the lack of financial resources would make it difficult for this prospective province to develop its regencies.

Hari said that the regency was still debating whether to choose Batam or Tanjung Pinang as its capital and had yet to obtain the approval to include Natuna island in the new province.

"The regency should set a time frame for getting approval for Natuna and it should learn from the experience of the three newly established provinces: Gorontalo, Banten, and Bangka Belitung," he said.

The minister said that Tanjung Pinang had yet to have its own legislative council.

"I agree that the regency has the potential to be developed into a new province, but this cannot happen instantly. I'm sure it will become a province after some preparation," he said.

He added that it was the House of Representatives that should schedule the agenda for the bill's revision. "The government is only awaiting its invitation because that is its prerogative," he said.

Hari said that people of Riau Islands should influence the local legislative council, Natuna island and the Riau provincial administration to give their support for the planned establishment of the new province.

"The process should be a bottom-up one. In such a decentralized era, local problems should be settled at regional, not national level," he said.

Hari reminded that the people of Riau Islands should not resort to anarchy in fighting for their goals since that could scare away potential investors.