Competition essential to improve public service<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Creating competition among public utilities
\ncompanies and governmental institutions is required to improve
\nthe quality of public services, State Minister of Administrative
\nReforms T.B. Silalahi said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"Overhead costs of our economy is increasing and most of the
\ncosts are used to bribe officials... although not all of our
\nofficials accept bribes,\" Silalahi said at a seminar held at
\nSangri-La Hotel.<\/p>\n
\"Just go to the Jakarta administration office to obtain a
\nnumber of letters, you will notice how many 'tables' you have to
\ndeal with. In the end, after a tiring process, an official will
\ntell you: 'let's just resolve the matter at the Hilton',\"
\nSilalahi said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Silalahi asserted that the bureaucracy needs to be
\nrun with competition. He explained that such competition can be
\ncreated by, among others, giving incentives and disincentives to
\npublic servants through their salaries.<\/p>\n
\"So far we give annual salary increases to public servants
\nwithout reckoning their performances. And now, we are considering
\nof giving real salary increases or bonuses only to those who make
\naccomplishment,\" Silalahi said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged, however, that the low-level salaries of
\npublic servants have become the government's main concern
\nwhenever it wants to improve the quality of the bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
\"How can you expect the best services from such low-paid
\npublic servants... I know your salaries. If you are well-paid and
\nriding your own cars, you will be more motivated to hunt the best
\nnews, wont' you,\" Silalahi told journalists.<\/p>\n
Last fiscal year, which ended in March, the government
\nbudgeted Rp 13.01 trillion (US$5.7 billion) to pay some four
\nmillion civil servants and pensioners, a 19.4 percent increase
\nfrom Rp 10.89 trillion in the 1993-1994 fiscal year. This fiscal
\nyear, the government has earmarked Rp 15.35 trillion to pay civil
\nservants and pensioners.<\/p>\n
Silalahi noted that it is necessary to create competition
\namong state-owned and private public utilities to improve the
\nquality of public facilities and public services.<\/p>\n
Competition<\/p>\n
He explained that such competitions can be created between
\nstate companies and state companies or between state companies
\nand private companies or between private companies and private
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
\"Competitions can also be created within a public utility
\ncompany which has several units or even several subsidiaries,\"
\nSilalahi said. \"The state electricity company PT PLN, for
\ninstance, can create competition among its units of services in
\nvarious districts.\"<\/p>\n
He added that the Abdisatyabakti service award presented by
\nPresident Soeharto to 10 state agencies last month shows the
\ngovernment's efforts to improve the quality of public services.<\/p>\n
\"Next year, we target that some 100 units of state agencies
\nwill get such awards and the following year we hope that the
\namount of public service units which deserve the awards will
\ntriple,\" Silalahi said. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/competition-essential-to-improve-public-service-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}