Abdurrahman makes mark on State Secretariat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has finalized the
\nrevamping of the powerful State Secretariat, a move which will
\nalso pave the way for Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
\nannounce her own working team.<\/p>\n
Acting state secretary, Bondan Gunawan, announced the new
\nstructure of State Secretariat and the new job descriptions of
\nthe President's four official secretaries.<\/p>\n
Citing presidential decrees No. 58, Bondan said the state
\nsecretary will only concentrate on administratively serving the
\nPresident as it has lost its decisive control over state agencies
\nalong with the offices of 13 state ministers and three
\ncoordinating ministers.<\/p>\n
\"An institution which has relatively small power, its
\norganization will be more effective and efficient in carrying out
\nthe duties of public service and daily administrative support for
\nthe President,\" Bondan said.<\/p>\n
Bondan, who is also secretary of government supervision,
\npointed out the overall number of civil servants working at the
\noffice will also be reduced to about 600 from the current 3,000
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
Previously, the State Secretariat administratively controlled
\nseveral state agencies, including the National Logistics Agency
\n(Bulog), and State Intelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin).<\/p>\n
\"Despite the revamping, there will be no layoffs here,\" Bondan
\nsaid without elaborating on where the employees would be moved.<\/p>\n
Bondan also said he would soon end his duties as acting state
\nsecretary, because his term is for only be six months.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman axed state secretary Ali Rahman in February and
\nappointed Bondan to temporarily fill the job.<\/p>\n
\"I will soon accomplish my work here,\" said Bondan, adding
\nthat he would resume his job as secretary of government
\nsupervision.<\/p>\n
Bondan declined to name the next state secretary.<\/p>\n
It is believed that Djohan Efendi will be appointed to the
\njob.<\/p>\n
Djohan Efendi currently works as head of the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs' research and development center. Djohan is
\nregarded as among the few people who can openly express their
\ndifferences of opinion with the President.<\/p>\n
The President has four official secretaries, including the
\nstate secretary.<\/p>\n
In his state duties, he is assisted by Presidential Secretary
\nDjoko Mulyono, Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak, Secretary
\nof Government Supervision Bondan Gunawan, and Military Secretary
\nRear Marshal Budhy Santoso.<\/p>\n
According to Bondan, not all of the secretaries have
\nministerial level positions.<\/p>\n
\"But they will receive the facilities which are similar with
\nservices given to ministers,\" Bondan said.<\/p>\n
Presidential Secretary Djoko is assigned to arrange the
\nPresident's daily activities, handle protocol and media affairs,
\nand the maintenance of Bina Graha presidential office, along with
\nthe six presidential palaces.<\/p>\n
The main task of the secretary of government supervision is
\nto monitor the government's daily activities.<\/p>\n
Under the new scheme the three other secretaries, except
\nDjoko, will have three deputies and one expert staff.<\/p>\n
Djoko will only have two deputies, and one expert staff.<\/p>\n
According to Bondan, each secretary will have at most 200
\ncivil servants working under their supervision.<\/p>\n
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri is also expected to
\nannounce her new team soon.<\/p>\n
Currently she has installed senior bureaucrat Bambang Kesowo
\nas vice president secretary.<\/p>\n
Bambang worked as Cabinet deputy secretary for five years
\nuntil September 1998. He was in charge in the drafting of bills
\nand presidential decrees under Soeharto's rule.<\/p>\n
Born on March 27, 1945, Bambang obtained his Master's Degree
\nfrom Harvard Law School in 1983. He was continuing his studies at
\nthe university when Megawati asked him to become her aide last
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
The vice presidential palace currently employs about 200
\npersonnel, nearly half of them work as servants, gardeners, and
\nhouse keepers at the office or her official residence on Jl.
\nDiponegoro, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
But the Vice President's office is expected to undergo a large
\nrecruitment soon.<\/p>\n
Presidential Decree No. 56, issued on April 20, augments the
\nstructure for the Vice Presidential Secretariat Office.<\/p>\n
The decree empowers the vice presidential secretary to help
\nwith the daily tasks of the Vice President and her husband Taufiq
\nKiemas, both in Indonesia and on foreign trips.<\/p>\n
According to the decree, Bambang is allowed to have five
\ndeputies, including deputies for political and economics affairs.<\/p>\n
Each deputy is allowed to have at most five bureaus. Each
\nbureau can have five sections while each section is allowed to
\nhave four sub-sections.<\/p>\n
But officials at the presidential office have promised to keep
\nthe size of the expanded secretariat at a manageable level.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu Mega does not want to repeat the President's mistakes of
\nrecruiting inexperienced people for top aide positions,\" one of
\nMegawati's senior advisors told The Jakarta Post recently. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abdurrahman-makes-mark-on-state-secretariat-1447893297",
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