Putting decades of armed conflict and the devastating tsunami behind it, Aceh will embark on a new era when the new governor takes office Thursday. Outgoing acting governor Mustafa Abubakar talked to The Jakarta Post's Dwi Atmanta recently about the legacy of his administration and the landmark transfer of power, which he expects to lead the province to prosperity.

Question: How do you see the potential relationship between Jakarta and Aceh, given the fact that the people in the province elected a former rebel as the new governor?

Answer: I have asked the elected governor to build good communication with the central government, the legislative council and his constituents. The central government responded positively to the election results and congratulated Aceh on the successful, peaceful and democratic election. Jakarta has shown no sign of worry at all. Instead the central government has always provided assistance and taken efforts to make sure the future government will run well for the sake of Aceh's welfare.

Few had anticipated the election results, but no one has denied the credibility of the poll. The election turnout reached 70 percent, which might not happen in other regions. No election disputes followed. The central government acknowledges the people's choice.

The government cares about Aceh's development, therefore the President has officially asked Sofyan Djalil (minister of information and communications), Hamid Awaluddin (minister of justice and human rights) and myself, as the former governor, to provide assistance and advocacy for the new governor and deputy governor for an indefinite period. It seems that the new leaders are in need of such help.

How will Aceh's economy grow in the future?

Aceh is rich in energy resources like coal, geothermal power and hydropower. If the assets are managed well there will be no energy crisis in Aceh, and furthermore the province will emerge as an energy exporter.

Thanks to the Aceh governance law, the new provincial government will control the oil and gas reserves along with the central government. We are also blessed with potentials in agribusiness, including huge tracts of land that will support the national biofuel program. We have allocated 500,000 hectares of land in North Aceh for the project, with a possibility of doubling that size.

We have sensed a great opportunity in the fishery business as well. Therefore we will start building this year a fish port as big as the one in Jakarta on no less than 50 hectares of land. A tuna breeding center will follow in a bid to develop Aceh as a major supplier of fresh tuna in the world.

The existing industries in Lhokseumawe – KKA paper producer, Arun gas field, ExxonMobil, PT Iskandar Muda fertilizer companyare other valuable assets. To solve a crisis in gas supply for the industries, we will develop alternative energy, including coal.

In terms of infrastructure, Aceh is seeking to build Sabang as an international seaport. During meetings with Republic of Ireland government officials and businesspeople, we considered a cooperation to develop Sabang into a seaport on par with the Dublin port. We will also expand Sultan Iskandar Muda airport to enable it to serve as an embarkation point for our haj pilgrims.

In the long run we will construct a two-lane highway linking Banda Aceh and towns along the eastern and northern coasts. The infrastructure will significantly help Aceh's economy grow.

Does Aceh have enough human resources to realize these dreams?

The Aceh administration and the BRR (Aceh-Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency) have initiated a program to send 1,000 students to universities across the country to pursue bachelor and master's degrees. The program will last until 2009, just when Aceh will be ready to use Rp 4 trillion in special autonomy funds to develop all its available potentials. The year will see Aceh development start to run at full speed. Hopefully peace and security will last so that Aceh economic development will succeed in improving people's welfare.

Will the political dynamics disrupt the key development programs?

The new government, as well as the political elite, should focus on economic development now that peace has prevailed. I praise the elected governor for his great attention to improving education and healthcare. We have discussed the possibility of forming a special body to manage a trust fund for education. Empowering the people's economy, free education and healthcare and good governance are all that the new governor needs to win popular support.

Should the new government take over the Aceh-Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency to speed up Aceh's recovery from the tsunami?

It is unlikely as there is too much money, some Rp 60 trillion (US$6.6 billion), from international donors involved that requires the central government to manage. A regional government has no capability to do this. There were statements in support of the takeover idea, but they were just a spontaneous response and have been retracted.

The agency is not working slowly. There were some problems with data collection on land titles. The recovery program looks to have run at a snail's pace because we, the local government and the agency, have been dealing with reconstruction and reintegration work.