President instructs district heads reduces unemployment

Antara News, Tuesday, January 19, 2010 19:34 WIB

Madiun, E Java (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed district heads across the country to do their utmost in lowering the unemployment and poverty rates in their respective regions.

The president said district heads should also try to improve education and health services, speed up infrastructure development and bureaucratic reform, to prevent corruption practices, and improve the quality of public services in general.

President Yudhoyono issued the instruction at the opening of the 6th national conference of the All-Indonesia Association of District Administrations (Apkasi) in Madiun, East Java, on Tuesday.

Yudhoyono said district heads should carry out his instruction and later reported the results to him.

"When I come again you should report the results to me," the president said.

The head of state also welcomed a declaration made by the district heads to build clean and accountable governance, to make bureaucratic reform, implement regional autonomy in the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), pursue the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and help save the earth from global warming.

"But in the next five years it should not remain a declaration only. Instead, you have to seriously implement what you have declared," the president said.

Themed "Increasing the Quality of Regional Authorities by Quality Development Efforts" the conference was attended by around 399 district heads from across the country.

Meanwhile, Apkasi chairman Sujono said the primary objective of Apkasi`s 6th national conference this time was to discuss efforts to increase regional autonomy which have so far not been made optimally.

Sujono said many district heads were still facing various obstacles in implementing regional autonomy because they were unable to make their own policies to serve the people`s interests.

According to Sujono, who is the Pacitan district head, if the authority of district administrations was increased, all district heads would be able to work better and more optimally.

"With full authority under the regional autonomy system, district heads will be better motivated to develop their respective regions," said the Apkasi chairman.