Korpri told to be more responsible

Korpri told to be more responsible

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto opened a major congress of
the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps (Korpri) yesterday with an
appeal to the government workers to act more responsibly.

"Every step and every aspect of national development are
closely linked to the support of the people, the holders of the
sovereignty in this Republic," Soeharto said in his keynote
speech to the congress at the State Palace.

"The quality of development will always be scrutinized by the
people through their representatives. The House of
Representatives (DPR) has the authority to remind the President
of any irregularities, and the President has to account for his
leadership every five years," he said.

He added that it is normal for the public to demand greater
scrutiny given that they, through their tax payments, are
underwriting development.

Aside from the need to improve the technical skills of the
civil service, they also have to be professionally, morally,
legally and ideologically accountable.

"Much more difficult than increasing the professional
capability is instilling a sense of responsibility. Such a sense
arises out of moral consideration, and it comes from the recesses
of our inner hearts."

There are times when certain actions are technically feasible
and even legally permissible, but morally they cannot be
accepted, he said.

Professional responsibility demands high quality work, this
means avoid doing "sloppy jobs" because they amount to a big
waste.

Korpri's national conference will be held here until April 16
and is attended by 683 participants from all the regions.

Also present at the opening ceremony were Minister of Home
Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., who is also chairman of Korpri's Board
of Patrons, Central Bank governor Soedradjad Djiwandono and
Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soerjohadikoesoemo.

Korpri is a major political force in Indonesia and it is one
of the components of Golkar, the ruling political group, along
with the Armed Forces and a number of mass-based organizations.

It has played a prominent role in ensuring victory for Golkar
during the five general elections held since 1972.

Soeharto urged Korpri members to continue to support
Indonesia's position in an increasingly competitive world.

GATT

He particularly referred to the scheduled signing of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which will usher in a new
era of free trade globally and therefore compel Indonesia to open
up its domestic markets to goods and services from other
countries.

Korpri, he said "must improve its effectivity, efficiency and
the quality of its work."

"The national economy is still inefficient, and this is partly
because of bureaucratic problems which are normal in major
organizations."

"I urge Korpri executives to systematically evaluate every
factor which creates obstacles, and then formulate alternatives
to avoid and overcome the bureaucratic inefficiency of this
government," he said.

The Korpri leaders yesterday also heard briefings from various
members of the cabinet, including Minister/State Secretary
Moerdiono, State Minister of National Development
Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board
Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Security and Defense Edi
Sudradjat.

Moerdiono in his address said the time has come for the civil
service to put the emphasis on "serving" and "nourishing" the
public and less on "governing" and "guiding".

This required a change in mentality, he said.

"This means a willingness to work in a democratic fashion
which is more egalitarian," he said.

Yogie in his speech hammered on the need for Korpri members to
continue to give their loyalty to Golkar under the concept of
"mono-loyalty." (par)