Anita Rachman – Regional autonomy has been a failure, with just 10 percent of about 500 districts and municipalities in the country having developed successfully since the policy was introduced eight years ago, an autonomy watchdog said on Thursday.

Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPO), said the failure was reflected by sharp drops in regional economic growth since decentralization in 2001. "According to our survey, only 10 percent to 15 percent of about 500 districts and municipalities have successfully developed," he said.

Quoting research based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) conducted by Iwan J. Aziz, an Indonesian professor based at Cornell University in the United States, Sofjan said that regional economic development had decreased by 4.88 percent from 2001 to 2007, compared to growth of 8.13 percent between 1993 and 1996.

He said that the worst hit region was Papua, where average growth between 2001 and 2007 reached a meager 0.66 percent, in stark contrast to growth of 14.19 percent between 1993 and 1996. Even, Greater Jakarta suffered a more than 3 percent drop, down from 8.99 percent to 5.71 percent.

Sofjan said he was not surprised when Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati gave all regional financial statements a disclaimer warning. "Whereas, prior to regional autonomy, all regional financial statements were good [unqualified and qualified opinions]," he said.

But to meet the objectives of regional autonomy, Sofjan said the central government should work together with regional authorities to set higher targets.

Bambang P.?S. Brodjonegoro, an economics expert from the University of Indonesia, said future government policies should not revert to centralization, but instead put regional development the core of national development. "It is the same old story. The central government must invite regional governments to work together for development," he said.

Bambang said that the poor growth figures in regional areas should be questioned and addressed by district and municipal leaders.

"Why only 10 percent success from 500 districts and municipalities?" he asked. "Regional autonomy succeeds if they have good leaders."