Waskito announces plans to streamline civil service<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to streamline the civil
\nservice through stricter annual recruitment, especially of lower
\nechelon employees.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Civil Service Administration Board Waskito
\nReksosoedirdjo yesterday reported to President Soeharto about the
\nmeasures to streamline the administration, which he admitted is
\noverladen with low level echelon staffers.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Waskito denied that
\nthe size of the Indonesian civil service is excessive.<\/p>\n
In percentages, the four million civil servants represent only
\nabout 2.25 percent of the population. In contrast, the civil
\nservice in Brunei represents 16 percent of the population, in
\nMalaysia four percent and in the Philippines and Thailand 2.5
\npercent. In France it is also four percent.<\/p>\n
\"Admittedly there is a problem of poor distribution of the
\ncivil servants in Indonesia. There are those who simply spend
\ntheir day reading newspapers,\" Waskito said. \"This is the
\nproblem.\"<\/p>\n
He said that the problem is more apparent if the four million
\ncivil servants are broken down in terms of classifications.<\/p>\n
The two lowest ranks, One and Two in the echelon
\nclassifications, respectively make up 16 and 67 percent of the
\ntotal. Group Three and Four, the highest ranks, make up only 15
\nand 0.9 percent respectively.<\/p>\n
\"This is what needs streamlining,\" he said, stressing that
\nthis was the point made by President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the government will not impose early
\nretirement on its civil servants.<\/p>\n
Four million<\/p>\n
The government is committed to maintaining the size of the
\ncivil service at four million. This means it will only recruit to
\nreplace those who leave service at retirement age or die.<\/p>\n
Waskito estimated that the government will have to recruit
\nabout 50,000 people each year, well down from the 200,000 it
\nrecruited annually in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the limited annual recruitment will be
\nselective in accordance with the government's development program
\npriorities.<\/p>\n
Of the four million civil servants, 1.7 million are teachers
\nworking for state schools and universities.<\/p>\n
Now that the government has extended the compulsory education
\nprogram from six to nine years beginning this year, more teachers
\nwill be needed to ensure its success, he said.<\/p>\n
Waskito said the President also inquired about the welfare of
\nthe state workers and asked that ways be found to make up for the
\nrelatively low salaries.<\/p>\n
Given the government's own budget constraints, Soeharto
\nsuggested ways of enhancing non-material remuneration for civil
\nservants, he said.<\/p>\n
Waskito said one way of doing this would be to improve the
\ncareer development system in the civil service, including
\npromotion.<\/p>\n
The award for meritorious services, in the past given only
\nonce after 10 years of spotless dedication to the civil service,
\nwill now be given at every 10 year interval of service.<\/p>\n
This means that a highly motivated and dedicated civil servant
\ncan expect up to three Satya Lencana Awards in his career with
\nthe government. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/waskito-announces-plans-to-streamline-civil-service-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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