Local officials are 'not qualified'

Local officials are 'not qualified'

TANGERANG (JP): Most local officials are not qualified because
their appointment is affected by conflicting interests, which
explains why they give a poor service to the public, an activist
said on Thursday.

Chairman of Tangerang Government Watch Tommy Wismantoro said
most officials in the town do not understand how to do their
jobs.

"How are we going to proceed with regional autonomy, which
requires professional human resources?" he said, without
elaborating which programs indicate such failures.

Many people are in the wrong place, he said. For example,
there is a planalogy graduate from a university in France who was
installed as chief of administration in the local inspectorate
office.

He said such circumstances had given rise to pressure and
dissatisfaction among local officials, which led to their
resignation, as had happened to a senior official at the local
sanitation office.

Spokesman of the Tangerang administration Machdiar defended
that every official must be ready to be appointed to any
position. "The policy has nothing to do with individual interest
or any subjective likes and dislikes," said Machdiar.

He added that the selection and placement process had been
reviewed thoroughly, covering seniority, career status and
educational background. (41/07)