Civil service flunkers upset

Civil service flunkers upset

TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of Tangerang mayoralty contract
employees who flunked the civil service entry examination
protested on Friday the alleged demand for bribes to earn a
passing grade.

They complained that only six of 382 contract employees who
took the test passed. All of those who passed were senior high
school graduates.

One of the protesters, a university graduate who has worked in
the mayoralty for six years, said he met all the necessary
requirements to become a civil servant except he failed the test.

"There is also another university graduate who has worked for
12 years but wasn't selected."

Another employee said: "I have tried the test five times, but
did not pass it. The problem is I do not have the money for
bribes so I could not pass the test."

It is reportedly common practice for test takers to pay off
officials in order to pass.

Head of the mayoralty's public relations section, Harry Mulya
Zein, adamantly denied that bribery persisted. He said the
recruitment system was now handled directly by officials of the
West Java administration in Bandung so that the mayoralty had
less authority over the recruitment.

"The Tangerang mayoralty should ideally be given greater
autonomy to set its own budget, procure its equipment and other
supplies and recruit employees."

Harry regretted the demonstration and said the test grading
was computerized, making it extremely difficult to fix.

He said the actual number of mayoralty employees, which
reached 4,041, was still far from enough to serve about 1.4
million Tangerang residents.

"Ideally an employee serves 100 people," he said. (41/ind)