A plan to audit state budget disbursements for Papua’s two provinces was welcomed by Papuans, who insist the process should be conducted in a comprehensive and transparent manner.
The plan is appreciated but overdue, and only came about after Papuans staged a series of protests rejecting their special autonomy status, Cendrawasih University Democratic Center spokesman Muhammad Musa’ad said.
“It seems like Jakarta only reacts to protests. Why does it have to be like that? Why can’t we implement evaluation procedures from the very start,” Musa’ad told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
On Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered an audit of the state budget for development in Papua’s two provinces, saying that progress to date was far from satisfactory.
The government’s development budget allocations for Papua and West Papua are among the highest in Indonesia, Yudhoyono said, adding that the two provinces have the largest per capita development spending among all 33 Indonesian provinces.
The state allocated Rp 22.42 trillion (US$2.49 billion) for the development of Papua province in 2010, and Rp 8.1 trillion for West Papua, the Coordinating Economic Minister’s Office reported.
Papua will also receive an additional Rp 8.5 trillion in 2010 and West Papua Rp 3.9 trillion in special autonomy funds.
Since last year,, the special autonomy funds have been split between Papua and West Papua.
Musa’ad said the evaluation should cover all relevant aspects, from draft regulations through implementation and monitoring.
“Don’t just evaluate the use of special autonomy funds for Papua. The process should be more comprehensive,” he said.
“If the central government only evaluates the funds, this will not solve Papua’s real problems because the law is no longer relevant to the current political situation in Papua,” he said.
For example, the autonomy law only regulates one province, Papua, because West Papua was formed after the passage of the law, Musa’ad said, although the 2001 Autonomy Law was revised in 2008 to accommodate the new province.
Musa’ad said that the evaluation plan cannot be a one-sided Jakarta-based appraisal, but should also involve independent institutions to build trust from both the central and Papua governments, and ensure that results are accepted by all.
Such a plan would be fully supported by the council, Papua Legislative Council Commission C chief Carolus Bolly said.
The audit plan would help highlight the use of special autonomy funds, which are currently managed jointly with the provincial budget, he said.
“The special autonomy funds should be independently managed to ensure transparency. Monitoring procedures would be more effective if they are managed separately,” Carolus told the Post on Monday.
“The lack of transparent use of special autonomy funds is one factor behind criticism of special autonomy in Papua.”
The province’s 2001 Special Autonomy Law stipulates that funds can only be used to finance education, health, welfare and infrastructure.