Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – An Aceh-linked organization that advocates for environmental issues demanded that the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) apologize for implicitly blaming the slow reconstruction work on sharia in Aceh province.
Greenomics Indonesia was responding to the statement of BRR chief Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who on a visit to The Jakarta Post on Thursday said that the implementation of sharia had "hindered" the development programs in the province, which enjoys special autonomy.
"Kuntoro's statement on sharia is intolerable and has offended Acehnese people's religious beliefs. He must withdraw it and make an apology to the Acehnese," Greenomics executive director Elfian Effendi told the Post over the weekend.
Elfian argued the sluggish reconstruction work had nothing to do with sharia. He said the BRR should not try to scapegoat sharia for the lack of accountability and slow pace of the reconstruction work.
"Up until August, only 25 percent of its 2007 budget had been spent and, according to World Bank data, only 43 percent of the BRR's rehabilitation and reconstruction programs have been finished. But all this has nothing to do with sharia," he said, adding that BRR should reevaluate its competence and capabilities in carrying out the programs.
During his visit to the Post, Kuntoro said that the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation projects must also be accompanied by efforts to attract foreign investors to Aceh.
"Otherwise, it will be difficult to activate the development programs in the province," he said. He also said: "Security has been the most frequent question asked by foreigners. But the application of sharia has also been of concern to them."
Greenomics and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) have filed a report with the House of Representatives after the BRR established a trust fund established with unused budgetary funds.
Kuntoro said that the trust fund had been approved by the Finance Ministry. The fund is to be used to acquire land for the "American Highway", a US-funded highway linking Banda Aceh and Meulaboh.