Dozens of Economic Census Enumerators in Semarang Resign

The head of the Semarang City Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Rudi Cahyono, has confirmed reports that dozens of enumerators for the 2026 Economic Census in his region have resigned. The news emerged alongside rumours of stalled wage payments to data collection partners in Semarang. Rudi revealed that 30 enumerators in Semarang had stepped down. “Actually, the 30 people did not resign simultaneously, not like a mass exodus. It really depended on each officer’s individual circumstances,” he said during an interview on Saturday (18/7/2026). He claimed their resignations were not due to internal factors. “Of those 30 people, actually 50 percent, or 16 people, resigned because they got other jobs,” he stated. Meanwhile, the remainder had their own reasons. “Some were due to illness. There were five people who were sick. There were also those caring for parents. Besides that, some were studying at university and could not manage their time,” Rudi said. He explained that despite having already worked, those who resigned would not receive any honorarium. “According to the provisions in the SPK (contract), if they resign, they do not receive an honorarium,” he stated. Because the 2026 Economic Census has a deadline for data collection, Rudi said his office was immediately seeking replacements for the enumerators who resigned. “This is so that the work can continue,” he said. The issue of dozens of enumerators resigning emerged alongside problems with wages that were reportedly delayed. However, Rudi claimed his office was making payments in accordance with the SPK provisions. He also denied any changes to the contract agreed upon between the Semarang City BPS and the data collection partners. “We have not changed the payment mechanism. Everything still refers to the original SPK,” Rudi said when asked about the alleged contract changes. When asked about the SLS (Local Environmental Unit) provisions in the SPK, Rudi said this was included in the workload that partners must complete. “In the SPK, it is 40 percent of the workload. That workload includes the SLS and its assignment. So, if an officer is given 10 SLS, for example, that means 40 percent is four. When the total assignment is 1,000, then 40 percent is 400,” he said. “So, the fulfilment referred to is having completed 40 percent of the workload from those two elements, namely the SLS and its assignment,” Rudi added. Based on a copy of the SPK obtained by Republika, the payment provisions stated in Article 8 paragraph (3) letter a do not explicitly mention SLS fulfilment. The article only states that the first term payment is made after the data collection partner completes 40 percent of the total workload. Rudi assessed that the data collection partners had not fully understood the content of the article. “Regarding this payment mechanism, we actually hold a weekly briefing every Friday. The payment procedures are also conveyed there. Perhaps this information has not been understood by the officers,” he said. He added that the disbursement process for payments to officers also takes time. Rudi gave an example that if a data collection partner has completed 40 percent of the workload, payment is not automatically made on 15 July 2026. “Based on PMK Number 190/PMK.05/2012, the deadline for processing a bill to the state is no later than 17 working days after the right to bill arises,” Rudi said. He revealed that the total number of 2026 Economic Census officers coordinated by the Semarang City BPS reached 1,437 people.