What is wrong?<\/p>\n
Could it be that there is something wrong with policy
\ncoordination within the government? So many times within the span
\nof just one week this rather distressing question arose as
\ndifferent cabinet ministers aired what seemed to be a different
\nstance on certain issues.<\/p>\n
The first instance occurred when last week Minister of
\nInformation Harmoko reacted strongly to the newly issued
\ngovernment regulation which, among other things, would open the
\ndoor to direct foreign investments in the mass media. It was then
\nrevealed, as Harmoko himself admitted, that there had been poor
\ncoordination between cabinet officials as "nobody asked to
\nconsult me before the new policy was announced".<\/p>\n
Some cabinet officials were said to have expressed surprise
\nthat a number of articles in the new regulation could be in
\nconflict with already existing laws, and no less a person than
\nthe Minister of Justice was reported to have conceded that in
\ncertain aspects and judged from a purely legal point of view the
\nnew regulation, known as Government Regulation No.20\/1994, could
\nnot be used.
\n In the second case, many observers were baffled yesterday by
\ndiffering statements coming from two officials regarding the
\ngovernment's stance on the situation in the Toba Batak Protestant
\nChurch (HKBP), which is at present divided into two conflicting
\ncamps, one led by J.W.T. Simanjuntak and the other by S.A.E.
\nNababan.<\/p>\n
While Minister of Home Affairs Yogie S.M. told the Commission
\nII of the House of Representatives (DPR) that the government only
\nrecognizes the HKBP board led by bishop J.W.T. Simanjuntak, Armed
\nForces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung told the House's
\nCommission I that the government remains neutral and does not
\nfavor either camp in the dispute.<\/p>\n
On top of that, one should not overlook the difference of view
\nbetween State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie
\nand Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad with regard to the cost
\nof thirty-nine second-hand warships from Germany. Although
\nHabibie, in a hearing with the House of Representatives on
\nTuesday, played down his differences with Finance Minister Mar'ie
\nMuhammad, the fact that the budget had to be lowered seems to
\nindicate that differences did indeed occur.<\/p>\n
The most simple explanation is obviously that, at least in
\nthose cases mentioned, coordination must have been wanting among
\nthe various cabinet ministries concerned. To many among us this
\nmay not sound like such a big flaw. After all lack of
\ncoordination is not at all uncommon in this country, inside the
\ngovernment or outside.<\/p>\n
To the man-in-the-street, whose well-being depends in so many
\naspects on the policies taken by the government, however, all
\nthis is of course rather distressing. This is all the more true
\nbecause impressions of bickering and rivalry, whether justified
\nor not, are often difficult to avoid in cases such as these.<\/p>\n
In short, considering the undesirable effects which such
\ndissonance in the highest echelons of our state bureaucracy can
\nhave on the various segments of our society, we believe that the
\ngovernment should do all it can to avoid similar cases in the
\nfuture. As Indonesians gear themselves up for take-off towards
\nself-sustained growth, it does not seem too much to expect that
\nefficiency will become a greater part of our way of life. This is
\ntrue for all of us. But no need to say, it is particularly true
\nfor those who are in positions of leadership and authority.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-is-wrong-1447899208",
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