Directorate General Positions in Ministries Must Not Become Places for Officials' 'Favour Repayments'

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The National Civil Service Agency (BKN) is implementing a new scheme for the assessment process of candidates for High-Level Leadership Positions (JPT) Madya or echelon I in ministries. The aim is to end the common practice of favour repayment carried out by state officials by exploiting those director general-level seats.

The new scheme for competency and potential assessment of JPT Madya candidates involves the application of re-profiling with higher and more comprehensive assessment standards. This process engages experienced assessors to ensure objective and accountable results.

“Through consistent profiling and assessment, we minimise subjective practices such as favour repayment, and replace them with clear competency standards,” said Zudan, quoted from a written statement on Thursday (30/4/2026).

Zudan explained that this scheme is also part of the mechanism for building national talent management, which must start from an accurate and sustainable ASN profiling process.

“This is an important stage in building national talent management. Through ASN profiling, we want to ensure that the state has thousands of the best cadres ready to fill strategic positions, especially at the echelon I level (JPT Madya),” said Zudan.

He also emphasised that the assessment results serve as the primary instrument in objectively mapping officials’ capacities.

“Now our system is more transparent and the results can be seen. With this assessment, every participant can know their strengths and aspects that need improvement. This is important so that appointments are no longer based on subjectivity, but on measurable competencies,” he stated.

Zudan further stressed that this scheme is actually the government’s effort to improve the quality of Indonesian civil servant human resources, which is currently at a mid-to-upper level globally. The challenge in maintaining objectivity and consistency in the merit system still needs to be continuously strengthened.

He also encouraged all government agencies to conduct competency assessments periodically. The assessment results can be used in open selection processes as long as they are still relevant, namely within a period of less than two years, as part of efforts to enhance the quality of 6.7 million ASNs in Indonesia.