BIDA urges government to reaffirm its authority

Fadli , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 03/20/2010 10:24 AM | The Archipelago

The Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) has called on the central government to reaffirm the authority’s existence, which it deems has reached an impasse.

The non-ministerial state institution, established during president Soeharto’s administration, now reportedly has weakened in its administrative and bureaucratic role and resolve, and part of the government is considered significant to redetermine whether the institution should be maintained.

The second option, if it occurs, has been said to save state funds.

BIDA Administrative and Planning division deputy head Moch Prijanto told The Jakarta Post that BIDA was entering its slow period with the Batam municipality office growing stronger.

“During the term of Pak Ismeth Abdullah [currently Riau Islands Governor] as BIDA chairman, BIDA’s performance was strong and well publicized, but when it was led by Mustofa Wijaya, it seemed sluggish,” said Prijanto.

The central government is expected to decide the fate of the institution to respond to the anxiety of around 2,000 BIDA employees. Most are civil servants but the number of contractual workers are also considered to be significant.

Many are currently inactive, without a clear job description. Arriving at work in the morning and returning home in the afternoon is just routine. Some have applied for transfers to the Batam municipality and Riau Islands provincial administration.

“It has been almost four years now since the BIDA head was received by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to report directly on Batam’s progress. The written reports are sent through mail,” said a BIDA protocol staff requesting anonymity.

He said BIDA head Mustofa was never given a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to convey the institution’s progress report since his appointment, a different trend from the past.
Then president Soeharto received him routinely to receive a progress report on the Batam industrial zone, he said.

Prijanto said the current state did not mean that BIDA was inactive.

“It is just his style of leadership and it doesn’t mean that we’re not working. Everything has been regulated by the law,” he said.

BIDA’s influence began fading following the issuance of the 1999 law on the formation of Batam municipality. Since then both institutions had been involved in squabbles, each claiming the most authorized to manage Batam Island.

Social and political science lecturer at the Riau State University Muchid Al Bintani said his school had repeatedly expressed the need for the government to decisively reposition BIDA as an institution.

From the licensing aspects, the government has set up the “one stop service” program involving the Batam municipality and Investment Coordinating Board. If the government wants to maintain it, it should reassert its role and function better and more clearly.

“The institution has become disorderly. The government should be firm on this matter. It should decide on the legal status of the institution and working division between Batam municipality and BIDA.”