Civil service is govt's 'political machine'
Civil service is govt's 'political machine'
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on members of the Indonesian
Civil Servants Association (Korpri) across the country to comply
with regulations set by the government, saying that the
bureaucracy was the government's political machine.
"Civil servants are the government's political machine and
should work in accordance with government regulations," Kalla
said in front of hundreds of civil servants attending a ceremony
marking Civil Servants Day at Bung Karno Sports Complex on
Monday.
Kalla underlined that only with the strong support of civil
servants could the government perform effectively.
"The success of the government very much depends on the
performance of civil servants, who serve as the bureaucratic arms
of the government," Kalla said.
During the Soeharto era, civil servants -- of which there are
around four million in the country -- were often exploited to
support the regime.
The large number of civil servants did not only serve as the
bulk of voters for Soeharto's Golkar Party, but also as a
political machine that ensured the party's victory in every
election for 32 years.
Since the reform movement kicked off in 1998, civil servants
have left politics and stayed neutral in every election.
During the ceremony, Kalla also said that the government was
fully aware of the fact that the welfare of civil servants needed
to be improved.
"The government realizes that we have to improve civil
servants' welfare for them to perform well, but it can only be
done if the country is in a better economic condition," he said.
He said that the government would continue to improve the
remuneration system for civil servants, and that it would
introduce a "reward-and-punishment system" in order to boost
their performance.
During the ceremony, Korpri chairman Feisal Tamim said that he
hoped the new government would maintain its policy of providing
13 months' salary for civil servants yearly.
"We hope that the policy will continue as the 13 months'
salary means a great deal to civil servants," the former state
minister of administrative reforms said.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on members of the Indonesian
Civil Servants Association (Korpri) across the country to comply
with regulations set by the government, saying that the
bureaucracy was the government's political machine.
"Civil servants are the government's political machine and
should work in accordance with government regulations," Kalla
said in front of hundreds of civil servants attending a ceremony
marking Civil Servants Day at Bung Karno Sports Complex on
Monday.
Kalla underlined that only with the strong support of civil
servants could the government perform effectively.
"The success of the government very much depends on the
performance of civil servants, who serve as the bureaucratic arms
of the government," Kalla said.
During the Soeharto era, civil servants -- of which there are
around four million in the country -- were often exploited to
support the regime.
The large number of civil servants did not only serve as the
bulk of voters for Soeharto's Golkar Party, but also as a
political machine that ensured the party's victory in every
election for 32 years.
Since the reform movement kicked off in 1998, civil servants
have left politics and stayed neutral in every election.
During the ceremony, Kalla also said that the government was
fully aware of the fact that the welfare of civil servants needed
to be improved.
"The government realizes that we have to improve civil
servants' welfare for them to perform well, but it can only be
done if the country is in a better economic condition," he said.
He said that the government would continue to improve the
remuneration system for civil servants, and that it would
introduce a "reward-and-punishment system" in order to boost
their performance.
During the ceremony, Korpri chairman Feisal Tamim said that he
hoped the new government would maintain its policy of providing
13 months' salary for civil servants yearly.
"We hope that the policy will continue as the 13 months'
salary means a great deal to civil servants," the former state
minister of administrative reforms said.