Civil servant absenteeism level low after Monday's return to work

The Jakarta Post, Medan/Batam/Yogya

Fewer civil servants skipped work on Monday, the first working day following the Idul Fitri holiday, raising confidence among high-ranking government officials that the civil servant corps was much more disciplined today than a few years ago.

North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin estimated that the number of absentees this year was some 8 percent, compared to 10 percent last year.

The estimate was made after an impromptu visit on Monday to several government offices, including the local irrigation office and the information and communications office.

The governor found that 13 of 223 civil servants at the irrigation office were absent that day, while 17 of 197 information and communications civil servants had skipped the first day at work after a whole week off for Idul Fitri.

"I have ordered the heads of the respective offices to slap sanctions on these undisciplined civil servants. The government has granted them a long holiday," said the governor.

Government offices have been closed from Nov. 13 through Nov. 21 for the Islamic holiday.

During the impromptu visit, the governor visited six offices, while Muchyan Tambuse, the North Sumatra provincial secretary, visited nine offices.

A similar inspection was carried out by senior officials of Riau Islands, who also found that most civil servants of the province had resumed work after the holiday.

At the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) office, only 10 of 2,500 civil servants were absent on Monday, while all civil servants in the Riau Islands provincial government -- about 500 -- were present.

Desi, a staffer at the BIDA office, acknowledged that the threat of severe punishment for absenteeism had encouraged civil servants to resume work on Monday.

The central government had issued a circular earlier informing civil servants that they would be punished if they skipped the first day of work after Idul Fitri, varying from salary reductions to postponed promotions.

In Yogyakarta, some 80 percent of 6,000 civil servants resumed work on Monday, according to Bambang Susanto Priyohadi, the Yogyakarta provincial secretary.

"This is a good achievement," Bambang commented.

On the same day, the civil servants, along with local residents, attended an open house held by Sultan Hamengkubowono X, also the governor of Yogyakarta.

The 5,000-strong crowd packed Kepatihan Hall, where the Sultan greeted them and shook their hands, an annual post-Idul Fitri tradition in Yogyakarta.