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