Sultan hints factors to invite investors

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)