APSN Banner

Aceh, ICW fight graft side by side

Source
Jakarta Post - March 24, 2007

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The Nanggroe Aceh Darussalem administration and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) announced their partnership Friday in an all-out battle against corruption in the resource-rich province.

Based on the agreement, Governor Irwandi Yusuf conveyed his commitment to creating clean and good governance in Aceh, while calling on the public to monitor the administration.

Irwandi said he would empower the current supervisory system to ensure the province's budget and special autonomy funds were used for the benefit of the Acehnese people.

"No changes will be made to the existing system, but it must be empowered to prevent any financial leakages and to take action against corrupt officials, whom I will never give any protection to," the governor said after a meeting with ICW here.

He stressed the importance of creating a model of clean and efficient governance to facilitate a better administrative system. The alleviation of poverty is also top of the administration's agenda, following decades of political instability and the devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed some 210,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in 2004.

The provincial budget for this fiscal year is Rp 4 trillion (US$438 million), with some Rp 6 trillion more to be delivered in special autonomy funds through the central government. Irwandi said he was determined to ensure the close supervision of the budget's allocation.

"The budget must be allocated in accordance with the list of priorities that have been set by the provincial administration and the provincial legislature. The funds must be spent transparently," he said, adding that rural economic development, education and health would be prioritized this fiscal year.

Irwandi, a former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel, won the province's gubernatorial election last December. The election was held as part of the Aug. 15, 2005, peace agreement signed by Indonesia and GAM in Helsinki, which was aimed at building a democratic government in the province.

The governor is now in need of further political support from civil society to gain the trust of not only the central government, but also the Acehnese people.

Teten Masduki, coordinator of ICW, said the corruption watchdog would work toward building a strong network with civil society and the many international NGOs working in Aceh.

"Besides ensuring transparency in the (provincial) administration, civil society should fully participate in monitoring all development activities in the province to ensure the administration gives better services to the people and improves their social welfare," he said.

All of Aceh's sectors are prone to corruption, Teten said, adding that ICW would pay particular attention to the procurement of the goods and services the province plans to acquire over the next five years.

"We are glad to cooperate with the Aceh governor, who has pledged not to protect corrupt officials. We are committed to winning the war against corruption," he said.

Meanwhile, Irwandi said he had issued a "tight" policy on the exploration of non-renewable natural resources to ensure their availability for coming Acehnese generations.

"For the time being, we will not issue new concessions to explore the remaining oil and gas deposits. We will be quite selective in giving new concessions in the forestry sector in the future," he said.

Country