President reminds regional heads of their main tasks

Antara News, Wednesday, April 28, 2010 15:45 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned regional heads against immersing themselves in their own politics at the expense of their primary tasks as government officials.

In his address to open the National Development Planning Congress 2010 attended by around 2,000 people consisting of, among others, governors, district heads, mayors from all over Indonesia here on Wednesday, the President also warned them against the tendency of enriching themselves and their family members.

"All of us, including myself, should not concern ourselves about enriching ourselves and our family members," the head of state said, calling on the governors, district heads, and mayors to work hard to develop their respective areas.

The president also asked them to leave behind the habit of blaming other parties, but instead, making every effort to immediately solve every problem arising in their areas.

"Let us free ourselves from the bane of irresponsibility," the president said.

At the meeting to draw up the government`s Work Plan for 2011, the head of state reminded the governors, district heads, and mayors that the objective of national development was to improve the people`s welfare.

The congress was themed "Acceleration of Just Economic Growth Supported by Consolidation of Central-Regional Government Relations" and translated into 11 national development priorities in 2011, namely bureaucratic and administration reform, education, health, poverty eradication, food resilience, infrastructures, business and investment climate, energy, the environment, natural disasters, least developed regions, the most outer and inner islands, post-conflicts, culture, creativity and technology innovation.

The results of the earlier two working meetings led by the President and attended by governors from the country`s all provinces at Cipanas (West Java) and Tampaksiring (Bali Province), became inputs in drafting the government`s work plan 2011.

The congress is also expected to synchronize programs, main activities, venues and budgets prepared by the ministries and government institutions, which are considered urgent and need to be implemented immediately.