North Borneo, The New Province

Bulungan planned to be the capital of North Borneo to stimulate the economy in border areas

Parliament on Thursday (25/10)

North Borneo was officially endorsed as the new province of Indonesia.

House of Representatives declared the formation of new provinces is needed to build resilience in the border region.

North Borneo or Kaltara itself a fraction of the province of East Kalimantan and plans, Bulungan will serve as the capital of the province to 34.

The province was formed to revive the economy in the region, which have been considered lagging.

It is located directly adjacent to Malaysia, making the most of its citizens dependent on Malaysia.

During this time in the border areas Indonesia and Malaysia, people do buy more products from Malaysia and even in some border areas, currency Ringgit into Euro rather than legitimate means of payment

This is what the politicians in Parliament feared that makes them ultimately supported the establishment of a new province.

According to the Chairman of Commission II, Agun Gunanjar, the formation of new local governments in North Borneo is crucial to improve public services and border security.

“How to protect the border, if the government controls too much, how can prosper if they all affairs can not be served,” said Agun.

According Agun welfare, justice can become an obsession that can be realized by the division.

“Once the government is formed Kaltara, then there will be a new administrative center in the border will be entirely controlled, restrained, whether in education, health, public service, so there will be a pattern of economic policy, development policy, which they all have independent authority . ”

Although officially formed but North Borneo elections will be conducted in two years, and for a while during the next nine months the Ministry of Home Affairs will appoint an official governor.

Less Sucessful

“Increase public services more vibrant, not create new areas that actually adds to the burden and new problems”

Siti Zuhro

As stated the Parliament, the establishment of North Borneo was purely to revive the economy of border residents.

But Siti Zuhro a problem Autonomy LIPI researcher said the establishment of the North Borneo did not directly address the problems at the border.

“Because the expansion of the border problem can be solved instantly, not like that,” said Siti Zuhro.

“Not that easy, because in fact there is disappointment, dissatisfaction with the area itself or the quality of public services and the welfare of the people who did not arrive.”

“So the issue is, improve public services more vibrant, not create new areas that actually adds to the burden and new problems.”

“For the border, split or not split no effect, no effect to them,” said Siti Zuhro.

Besides Siti Zuhro also questioned the consistency of the previous government and the House of Representatives issued a moratorium on the expansion area, whereas the moratorium was put in place because of the expansion areas considered less successful.

In a note Siti Zuhro, 83% of the 205 autonomous regions, only to burden the state budget, which in turn increases the amount of lagging regions.

North Kalimantan is a province to 34 or seven new provinces were created in the aftermath of reforms and autonomy is rolled out in Indonesia.

Indonesia Now Has 1 New Province and 4 New Districts

Gamawan Fauzi (left), Marzuki Alie, Agun Gunanjar and Amir Syamsuddin after the plenary session to decide the Bill on the Establishment of a New Autonomous Region

Indonesia now has five new regions of the province and the four counties. The five new areas are set out in the Bill (the Bill) On the formation of a new autonomous region that has passed the House and the government to become law.

In the new law was passed there were five new autonomous province of the North Borneo, Pangandaran in West Java district, West Coast district in Lampung, South Manokwari in West Papua, and the mountains of Arfak district in West Papua.

“Thus, the number of autonomous regions in Indonesia today to 529 autonomous areas of 34 provinces and 402 districts,” said Minister of Justice and Human Rights (Menkumham) Amir Syamsudin in his speech before members of the House of Representatives in Parliament plenary session at the Parliament Complex Senayan , Jakarta, Thursday (25/10).

On the other hand, Interior Minister Gamawan Fauzi said the discussion of regional expansion has been delayed four years. Now, the Government and the Parliament felt these areas can already be removed. “Then we try to be selective. Of 19 (the area requested expansion) that we can receive five (area to split), “he said when met after the meeting Gamawan Session of Parliament, at the Parliament building, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (25/10).

Government and Parliament, said Gamawan, create a joint team to look at conditions on the ground. Government and Parliament held sessions during the three-week study, the study of administrative and financial studies.

According to Gamawan, with the new expansion areas were expected to support the work of the bureaucracy in the expanded areas to improve the welfare of local communities. “North Borneo, for example, has gas, oil and mining companies,” he said.

Kalimantan Utara Resmi Jadi Provinsi Baru

Bulungan direncanakan akan menjadi ibukota Kalimantan Utara guna mendorong ekonomi di kawasan perbatasan

DPR Kamis (25/10) secara resmi mensahkan Kalimantan Utara sebagai provinsi baru Indonesia.

Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat menyatakan pembentukan provinsi baru ini diperlukan guna membangun ketahanan di wilayah perbatasan.

Kalimantan Utara atau Kaltara sendiri merupakan pecahan dari provinsi Kalimantan Timur dan rencananya, Bulungan akan dijadikan sebagai ibukota provinsi ke 34 tersebut.

Provinsi ini dibentuk untuk menghidupkan ekonomi masyarakat di wilayah itu, yang selama ini dianggap tertinggal.

Letaknya yang berbatasan langsung dengan Malaysia, membuat sebagian warganya tergantung kepada Malaysia.

Selama ini di daerah perbatasan Indonesia dengan Malaysia, warga memang lebih banyak membeli produk dari Malaysia dan bahkan di beberapa daerah perbatasan, mata uang Ringgit menjadi alat pembayaran sah ketimbang Rupiah

Inilah yang dikhawatirkan para politisi di DPR yang membuat mereka akhirnya mendukung pembentukan provinsi baru.

Menurut Ketua Komisi II DPR, Agun Gunanjar, pembentukan pemerintahan daerah baru di Kalimantan Utara ini penting untuk meningkatkan pelayanan publik dan ketahanan wilayah perbatasan.

”Bagaimana melindungi warga perbatasan, kalau kontrol pemerintah terlalu jauh, bagaimana bisa mensejahterakan kalau mereka segala urusan tidak bisa dilayani” kata Agun.

Menurut Agun kesejahteraan rakyat, keadilan itu bisa menjadi sebuah obsesi yang bisa diwujudkan dengan pemekaran.

”Setelah pemerintahan Kaltara dibentuk, maka akan ada pusat pemerintahan baru di perbatasan yang seluruhnya itu akan terkontrol, terkendali, baik di bidang pendidikan, kesehatan, di bidang pelayanan publik, sehingga akan ada pola kebijakan ekonomi, kebijakan pembangunan, yang mereka semua punya otoritas mandiri.”

Meski secara resmi telah dibentuk tetapi pemilihan kepala daerah Kalimantan Utara baru akan dilakukan dua tahun mendatang, dan untuk sementara selama sembilan bulan kedepan Kementerian Dalam Negeri akan menunjuk seorang pejabat gubernur.

‘Kurang berhasil’

“Tingkatkan pelayanan publik yang lebih prima, bukan menciptakan daerah-daerah baru yang justru menambah beban dan masalah baru”

Siti Zuhro

Sebagaimana yang disampaikan DPR, pembentukan Kalimantan Utara ini murni untuk menghidupkan ekonomi warga perbatasan.

Tetapi Siti Zuhro seorang peneliti masalah Otonomi Daerah LIPI mengatakan pembentukan Kalimantan Utara ini tidak langsung menjawab permasalahan di perbatasan.

”Karena pemekaran masalah perbatasan langsung bisa diatasi, tidak seperti itu,” ujar Siti Zuhro.

”Tidak semudah itu, karena sebetulnya ada kekecewaan, ketidakpuasan daerah itu sendiri dengan kualitas pelayanan publik dan atau kesejahteraan masyarakat yang tidak kunjung tiba.”

”Jadi isunya adalah, tingkatkan pelayanan publik yang lebih prima, bukan menciptakan daerah-daerah baru yang justru menambah beban dan masalah baru.”

”Bagi masyarakat perbatasan, dimekarkan atau tidak dimekarkan tidak ada efeknya, tidak berpengaruh kepada mereka,” kata Siti Zuhro.

Selain itu Siti Zuhro juga mempertanyakan konsistensi pemerintah dan DPR yang sebelumnya mengeluarkan moratorium pemekaran wilayah, padahal moratorium itu diberlakukan karena pemekaran wilayah dianggap kurang berhasil.

Dalam catatan Siti Zuhro, 83% dari 205 daerah pemekaran, hanya membebani anggaran negara yang pada akhirnya meningkatkan jumlah daerah yang tertinggal.

Provinsi Kalimantan Utara merupakan provinsi ke 34 atau provinsi baru ketujuh yang dibentuk pada masa setelah reformasi dan kebijakan otonomi digulirkan di Indonesia.

Sumber : BBC Indonesia