PRESIDENT TO ISSUE DECREE ON BORDER MANAGEMENT

Batam, Jan 16 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will issue a Decree on a National Border Management Agency, Home Affairs Minister H Gamawan Fauzi said here Friday night.

"God willing, the decree will be issued this week," he said in a general lecture when installing the management of Riau Islands Alumni Association of Andalas University Law Faculty (IKA Unand Kepri).

The agency had been set up by the President because the existing border coordination in Papua, Kalimantan and Timor Leste, the front line with other countries is still inadequate, apparently because the management by 25 ministries and non-departmental institutions lacked coordination.

The National Border Management Agency will be chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs a coordinator also preparing several first and second echelon officials this year.

The Home Minister also said the President will soon also issue a grand strategy standardization regulation until 2025 on the division of Indonesia into several provinces, regencies and cities.

He said that in the last 10 years of post-reforms, Law No 22 of 1999 on Regional Administrations and regional expansion (Law No 32 of 2004), there are new 205 provinces, regencies and cities.

Thus now there are 524 provincial, regency and city administrations, but only 38 disadvantaged regions as the result of expansion, and 183 regencies/cities also with disadvantage ststus, he said.