BKKBN staff face uncertainty

BKKBN staff face uncertainty

TANGERANG: Hundreds of employees of the Tangerang National
Family Planning Coordination Body (BKKBN) are concerned about the
central office's announcement that from June the office would be
fully under the authority of the local administration.

When The Jakarta Post visited the BKKBN office in
Cikokol, Tangerang municipality, on Friday, several employees
voiced concern, saying they faced uncertainty because the regency
administration could close down the office and they could lose
their jobs.

"We are all worried as we have not been informed about our
fate," one staff member told the Post.

According to Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy, the central
government should hand over some of its authority to regional
administrations, including those pertaining to family planning
and population control, which was previously handled by the
central BKKBN office.

"The regency administration regards the BKKBN unimportant,
meaning it could close the office and our fate would be
uncertain," another employee said.

The Tangerang regency BKKBN's family planning and reproduction
department chief M. Harsyimi said he was aware that the employees
were uneasy about the possibility of losing their jobs.

"We're still waiting for the regency's decision on the issue,"
he said, adding that his office's status was being considered by
the regency administration.

He said, however, that the BKKBN office was still needed to
control population growth in Tangerang, which has three million
people.

Separately, regency administration spokesman Maman Soetoyo
said last Saturday that the administration had yet to decide on
the fate of the 256 BKKBN employees in the regency.