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)