Officials urged to talk to people more

Officials urged to talk to people more

JAKARTA (JP): Government officials need to hold talks with the
public on a more regular basis in the face of a global push for
greater democratization, it was stressed yesterday.

Alwi Dahlan, the chairman of the board for the proselytization
of the state ideology Pancasila, said yesterday the habit of open
communication with others had yet to develop among the majority
of government officials.

"It's common, unfortunately, that the higher an official's
ranking, the more pressed he or she is for time to accommodate
people's rising expectations," Alwi said.

Alwi, also a communications expert, denied that such a
situation had led to a blockage in communication between the
government and the public.

He said that a number of senior government officials
complained during a Pancasila upgrading course recently that they
were not trained sufficiently well to speak to the public.

"Officials tend to use bureaucratic language which sounds too
complicated for the public.

"To improve their professionalism, bureaucrats must get
accustomed to speaking with people."

Alwi also announced that President Soeharto would officiate at
the graduation of 1,016 government officials, rectors and other
senior lecturers and media executives who attended Pancasila
courses between November 1995 and November last year. The
ceremony is to be held at the Jakarta Convention Center on
Tuesday.

Alwi also chairs the steering committee of a national seminar
on Indonesia's global challenges in 2003, to be held in Medan,
North Sumatra, from March 18 to March 22. Soeharto is expected to
open the event.

The President is scheduled to present awards to the country's
best social scientists during an anniversary celebration of the
Indonesian Association for Social Sciences Development which will
coincide with the seminar.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and State Minister of
Research and Technology B.J. Habibie are expected to speak at the
seminar. (amd)