Three New Regencies Inaugurated: East Nusa Tenggara

Acting Home Affairs Minister Widodo AS on Tuesday inaugurated the establishment of three new regencies — Nagekeo, Central Sumba and Southwest Sumba — bringing the total number of regencies in East Nusa Tenggara to 19. Widodo on Tuesday also installed Elias Djo as acting regent of Nagekeo, Umbu Saga Anakaka as acting regent of Central Sumba and Emanual Babu Eha as acting regent of Southwest Sumba.

The minister urged people in the three autonomous regencies to assist the government in launching various development programs aimed at improving welfare.

“The presence of the three new regencies is to facilitate public services and (to encourage) equal development,” he said.
Widodo said he hoped the acting regents would work at capacity for 12 months and focus on their given tasks.

The acting regents will be responsible for running the administration, preparing the administrative outline, forming the legislature and facilitating the local leadership election.

“To expedite their tasks during the transition period, the parent regencies and the provincial administration are entitled to provide assistance of Rp 5 billion (approximately US$555,000) (to the three newcomers) for two consecutive years,” said Widodo.

The decision to establish the three regencies is stipulated in Law No. 2/2007, Law No. 3/2007 and Law No. 16/2007.

These laws saw the establishment of Nagekeo, Central Sumba and Southwest Sumba regencies and were approved by the House of Representatives on January 2.

In his address, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo said the three regencies had for the past several years submitted petitions to the Home Affairs Ministry to become autonomous.

“The government has responded to the people’s aspirations promptly … for the sake of improving public services,” said Tallo.
Nagekeo spans 1,386 sq. km. and is inhabited by 110,147 people. It consists of seven districts and 90 villages and subdistricts.

Central Sumba spans 1,868.74 sq. km. Its population is 57,964 across four districts and 43 villages and subdistricts.

Southwest Sumba spans 1,445.32 sq. km. and has a population of 235,632. It has eight districts and 95 villages and subdistricts.

Yemris Fointuna