Fate of civil servants
Fate of civil servants
From Suara Karya
It is decreed in the 1999-2004 State Policy Guidelines (GBHN)
that the professionalism and welfare of civil servants must be
given attention. Civil servants are part of state's apparatus;
they serve the state and the community. In this context, I fully
support the central governing board of the Indonesian Civil
Service Corps (Korpri) in its efforts to raise the
professionalism of civil servants. I also support the possibility
of civilian civil servants occupying structural positions, posts
which give civil servants the responsibility, authority and right
to head a unit of the state's organizational structure.
The restructuring of the Cabinet has come up with six
ministries, resulting from the merger of ministries. Also, two
offices of state ministers have been scrapped. This has caused
worry among civilian civil servants in the concerned ministries,
and these worries will affect their day-to-day work.
Civil servants whose ministries have been merged or liquidated
will feel that their careers, which they have nurtured for many
years, are coming to a stop. It is true they will continue to
receive their pay, but they will have no more opportunities for
promotion. It is therefore quite natural for Korpri to hope that
the government really implements the provisions on civil servants
contained in the 1999-2004 GBHN.
Ten months ago, the ministry of information, the ministry of
social affairs and the ministry of public works were liquidated.
Problems related with ranking officials in these ministries are
yet to be resolved, but now there have been more mergers and
liquidations.
I hope the ranking officials, who have dedicated themselves
for dozens of years and have already gone through training and
tests for the promotion of their careers, will not just be
ignored and neglected.
Besides, it seems that the governing board of Korpri also
hopes the funds for civilian civil servants managed by PT Taspen
and Bapertarum may now be managed by Korpri, because this money
comes from cuts to civil servants' salaries. It is quite proper
for the government to find another source of funds to raise the
welfare of civil servants. It should not, of course, cut the
salaries of civilian civil servants.
VALERY E. SETIAWAN
Bengkulu