Home affairs minister Surjadi vows to reform bureaucracy

JAKARTA (JP): Newly-sworn-in Minister of Home Affairs Surjadi Soedirdja said his main goal would be to improve the departments' poor image by cracking down on corruption and enhancing its service to the public.

"It is my hard task to repair the bureaucracy's badly- tarnished image and improve the public service of civil servants under my department, including the provincial and regency administrations," he told journalists after officially taking over from his predecessor Syarwan Hamid here on Friday.

He said his efforts would be practical rather than a mere publicity campaign.

"It's easy to make bombastic statements which are very difficult to implement in reality," he said.

He said his experience as Jakarta governor from 1992 to 1997 would be helpful in minimizing embezzlement, corruption, nepotism, collusion and abuses of power.

He reminded the press of its social function in helping the government improve its service to the public.

"Amid the reform era, the national press should play its role as the fourth pillar of democracy. It is the press' obligation to disclose any irregularities in the administration," he said.

Commenting on protests against his inclusion in the Cabinet, Surjadi said he had no ambition to return to politics as he was already engaged in various charity activities.

"I did not believe it when I saw my name was included in the Cabinet which was announced on Tuesday," he said.

Surjadi, a retired (Army) lieutenant general, said the government will have to reorganize the Home Affairs Ministry, which supervises provincial and regency administrations, in line with the planned enforcement of the 1999 Law on regional administration.

"Much of the department's authority will be delegated to governors and regents but this does not mean I will not have many things to do. It is my obsession to improve the quality of human resources in all institutions under my supervision," he said.

He said the quality of civil servants and their service to the public had to be improved to gain the people's confidence in the government.

"Civil servants can no longer play as masters. They have to realize their status as public servants," he said, adding the government will also improve their social welfare in line with the newly-endorsed law on the revised remuneration system for civil servants.

The minister said he would gradually move staff to provinces and regencies to strengthen the implementation of regional autonomy. (rms)