Minister to get tough on errant civil servants<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Civil servants still have two months to mess up before the
\nperformance contracts they signed with the Office of the State
\nMinister of Administrative Reforms take effect in January 2005.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Administrative Reforms Taufiq Effendi said
\non Friday that starting early next year, government agencies that
\nprovide direct services to the public would be given one month to
\nimprove their performance or face punishment.<\/p>\n
"Government agencies have to improve their services during
\nthat period. There will be rewards for those who improve their
\nperformance. On the other hand, errant agencies will be
\npunished," Taufiq announced.<\/p>\n
The contracts require all civil servants and government
\nofficials to fight corruption, collusion and nepotism and improve
\ntheir services.<\/p>\n
There are about five million civil servants, half of whom are
\nteachers.<\/p>\n
He said that errant civil servants would face the law if found
\nto be in breach of regulations or involved in corruption.<\/p>\n
The office of the state minister signed an agreement with the
\nCorruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on assessing the
\nperformance of government agencies. The agreement gives the
\nminister's office authority to pursue litigation against errant
\ncivil servants according to prevailing regulations sanctioning
\nthe agencies.<\/p>\n
Taufiq said the first government institution to work according
\nto the performance contract was the Jakarta Police.<\/p>\n
"We have given the Jakarta Police one month to improve their
\nservices," he said, adding that public service in the Jakarta
\nPolice was among the worst.<\/p>\n
Motorists face bureaucratic red-tape in obtaining driver's
\nlicenses and vehicle ownerships documents and out of frustration
\nthey opt to use the services of the ever-present middlemen.<\/p>\n
Taufiq said that other government agencies that had signed
\ncontracts were immigration offices around the country under the
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights' Directorate General for
\nImmigration.<\/p>\n
"Soon, the performance improvement drive will target offices
\nof regional administrations and hospitals throughout the
\ncountry," he said.<\/p>\n
He said the contracts would be more effective than raids
\nagainst errant officials or frequent impromptu visits made by
\nhigh-ranking state officials.<\/p>\n
"Such methods only humiliate civil servants, but they don't
\ndissuade them from repeating the same bad behavior," he said.<\/p>\n
In a related development, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nreiterated his commitment to fighting corruption and other
\nirregularities.<\/p>\n
"I declare war against corruption, collusion, nepotism,
\ninefficiency, leakages and other irregularities ... and the law
\nwill be upheld in the case of those who continue to engage in the
\nvarious bad practices of the past," Susilo said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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