530 Indonesian A officials to undergo training in S'pore

The management training is designed to help the governors and mayors run and control their regions under the new autonomy law

INDONESIA'S 30 provincial governors and 500 mayors will be trained by Singapore manage- ment experts on how to take con- trol of their own regions under the new autonomy law.

The ranking officials will come to Singapore over the next few months in batches of 30 to learn environmental manage- ment, local government manage- ment and public service management techniques, the facilitators of the programme said. The week-long course will be conducted by the Singapore Institute of Commerce (SIC), while the costs, estimated to be close to S$500,000, will be borne by the Indonesian National Association of Provincial Governors (APPSI).The SIC was the only non indonesian body that was consulted by the APPSI to assist with the autonomy programme. The institute presented a paper at a three-day APPSI conference in Bandung, West Java, last week.

A Memorandum of Under- standing will be signed this week.

"There are many different problems in the different proyinces. We will look at the basic necessities of each district and work out solutions for them," said SIC chairman Kannapan Chettiar.The Indonesian central government previously had control ment". of the regions, but under a new law, the central government will only have control of foreign poli- cy; monetary, judicial and court affairs; and defence matters.Regions will now handle the The SIC was the only non-In- licensing of trade and industry,mining, agriculture and forestry affairs. The new Indonesian autonomy law went into effect this year. But there are others that want more out of the programme. Aceh, for example, is seeking help with conflict-resolution techniques, while Irian Jaya is looking for assistance with implementing a scheme that sees both the public and private do- mains integrate to improve conditions there.

"But almost all were concerned with environmental policy," Mr Chettiar said.

One regent, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, said he was looking forward to the training, as "he would be bet- ter equipped to deal with the military and Megawati's government

The programme will be con- ducted at the SIC's residential training centre in Mount Vernon Road, and it is understood that the Trade Development Board will assist with meeting Singapore officials.