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)