Sultan hints factors to invite investors

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X asserted here on Wednesday that there were three key factors in attracting investors to the respective provinces: security, supremacy of law and labor issues.

Hamengkubuwono remarked that once regional autonomy is fully applied next year, the onus will be on the respective provincial governments to ensure its success.

"It's how the local administration ensures security, how they uphold the law and the role of the manpower office in dealing with labor issues in the region concerned," he said during a discussion on regional autonomy organized by the Yogyakarta branch of Parliament Watch Indonesia.

"Regional governments should know better about what each region needs under the upcoming regional autonomy next year. They have to open opportunities and encourage development," he said.

As for the idea of applying a fit and proper test for regional officials, Hamengkubuwono said that while it was needed, it was not essential.

"The standard of a fit and proper test may not be in accordance with that particular region's needs in meeting its challenges. Every official has different abilities. For me, the most important thing is how an official is able to put into action the local government's policies," he explained.

In the implementation of regional autonomy, he added, the one criterion needed to evaluate the bureaucrats was their efficiency.

Political scientist Ichlasul Amal of Gadjah Mada University concurred adding that the success of regional autonomy depended on the success of the empowerment of all society's components.

"A region should not influenced by fluctuations at the national level," he said.

Councillors, he added, must be those who know best about development in their region.

"They have to be the people who can talk about their region, not about the development of national politics," Ichlasul said.

The media, he added, should also cover more regional issues.

"Under regional autonomy, the local media such as community newspapers should be developed more," he said.

Nevertheless, Ichlasul warned of the possible negative effects of decentralization such as increased social unrest.

"One thing that we should be concerned about is increases in tension and crime. It's natural, though, as a side effect of democracy," he said.(23/hdn)