Ryaas denies govt sluggish over implementing autonomy law
Ryaas denies govt sluggish over implementing autonomy law
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid
denied on Monday the government was sluggish in implementing the
regional autonomy law.
Ryaas said autonomy was being quietly put in place in
provinces and regencies in accordance with the Law on Regional
Autonomy and Fiscal Balance Between the Central and Local
Governments.
He said the establishment of regional institutions and the
provision of economic programs, both in provinces and regencies,
commenced after the results of the general election were
announced in August.
"The establishment of provincial and regency councils is in
one package with elections for governors and regents where the
central government no longer intervenes in the elections," he
said following a meeting with leaders of the House of
Representatives here on Monday. Minister of Home Affairs Surjadi
Soedirja also attended the meeting.
"In the case of gubernatorial elections, provincial
legislative councils were free to nominate candidates," Ryaas
said, pointing to the 67 candidates nominated in West Sumatra and
40 in East Kalimantan.
Ryaas said the state budget draft to be submitted by the
government to the House on Thursday would reflect these
developments.
"For the next fiscal year, Aceh, Riau, East Kalimantan and
Papua will get a 100 percent increase in their revenue from
natural resources," he said, while pledging that the government
would not cut subsidies to provinces and regencies endowed with
fewer natural resources.
Ryaas said he and his team were working out the details on
which authorities the central government would delegate to
provincial and regency administrations.
"Over the last two months I've stayed quiet so we can focus on
plans to fully implement regional autonomy by 2001 in accordance
with the law.
"What my team has worked out will be brought to the next
Cabinet meeting to be discussed before being announced to the
public," he said.
Asked about the future of poorer provinces under the regional
autonomy plan, Ryaas said that politically they would be more
attractive to foreign investors compared to the more resource-
rich provinces, which were seeing signs of friction as local
groups fought to control the wealth.
"Least-developed provinces such as East Nusa Tenggara, Lampung
and South Sumatra are more attractive to foreign investors than
restive provinces such as Aceh, Riau and Papua because foreign
investors will invest in secure regions," he said.
Under the planned regional autonomy law, provinces and
regencies will be allowed to deal directly with foreign
investors.
"East Nusa Tenggara, which is relatively more secure, has the
potential to achieve more progress than Aceh in the future," he
said. (rms)