Prabowo Administration Moves to Clean Up ASN as New Rules and Requirements Issued
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The government is determined to cleanse the Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) of KKN—corruption, collusion and nepotism. Several new regulations have been issued to realise this aim. Among them is Ministerial Regulation of PANRB (PermenPANRB) Number 19 of 2025 on the Implementation of the Merit System in ASN Management. The regulation has been in effect since 31 December 2025.
“This ministerial regulation is aimed at realising an ASN that is integral, professional, neutral, free from corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), and capable of implementing policy and delivering public services effectively,” Deputy Minister Purwadi Arianto said in a press briefing, cited on Saturday 7 March 2026.
Purwadi explained that through PermenPANRB, sharpening the implementation of the merit system going forward will be carried out through five pillars. First, the eight aspects of the merit system will be strengthened in a holistic and integrated manner across the entire cycle of ASN management.
The eight aspects of the merit system are — planning needs and job standardisation; talent management; performance management; competency development; strengthening work culture and institutional image; rewards and recognition; discipline, termination, and administrative measures; and digitalisation of ASN management.
Second, there is a change in orientation in measuring the maturity of the merit system by targeting three simultaneous dimensions: availability, quality, and utilisation.
The third enhancement of the merit system is that the merit index will be produced more objectively, supported by instruments such as surveys of ASN satisfaction and engagement and taking into account adjustment factors. “This is done so that the index results are filtered strictly and proportionally,” he said.
Fourth, going forward the merit system will be strongly integrated with talent management, becoming the primary foundational instrument in filling posts, career development, and succession planning based on the best talent within the agency. Finally or fifth, the strengthening of the merit system is also supported by the digitalisation of ASN management and more objective supervision.
“With this sharpening, the merit system is no longer to be understood as a matter of administrative fulfilment but truly as an instrument that impacts the quality of ASN performance and organisational performance,” Purwadi emphasised.
Purwadi stressed that this strengthening becomes important after President Prabowo Subianto set forth a framework to strengthen ASN management as contained in the National Big Design for Bureaucratic Reform (DBRBN) 2025-2045.
In the DBRBN 2025-2045, the government set the World Class Bureaucracy 2045 vision. This vision underscores a commitment to building a collaborative, capable, and integrity-driven bureaucracy to support Indonesia Emas 2045.
Within this framework, one of the main targets is to create a state apparatus that is competent and high-performing based on the merit system.
“The target is clear. All government agencies will be in the leading category in the Merit System Index by 2045. In other words, the merit system is not merely a tool of personnel management, but the foundation for building national ASN quality,” he stated.
Must Align with the Spirit of Asta Cita
Meanwhile, the Head of the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) Zudan Arief Fakrulloh emphasised that the process of filling ASN posts must align with the needs and goals of the organisation, from the vision and mission of regional heads to the Asta Cita of the President. He stated this during a press briefing on talent management readiness for the Bolaang Mongondow Selatan and Halmahera Timur regencies at BKN Central Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (3 March 2026).
“The spirit is that we are building talent management together to realise the President’s Asta Cita. The task of talent management is to select officials or staff in regencies/ccities to realise the vision and mission of the regional head,” Zudan said, cited in a press release, Saturday (7 March 2026).
In implementing talent management, Zudan cited an example: if a region wishes to realise a religiously devout area or improve health services, then officials from the head of department to the unit head, such as the Civil Service Police (Satpol PP) or the Head of Community Health Centres (Puskesmas), must be sought.
He urged that the implementation must ensure every post is filled by an ASN who has potential, competence, and a clear track record.
“When we search for candidates, we must choose those who have potential, competence, and the drivers of success, namely willingness, knowledge, and track record,” he said.
As is known, since last year the BKN has been strengthening the talent management programme across various government agencies, both central and regional, in line with the Head of BKN Decision No. 411 of 2025.
“To realise the vision of an advanced Indonesia and to support the achievement of national development goals within the President’s Asta Cita of Indonesia, the ASN must be professional, competent, and of high integrity through the ASN Talent Management,” as stated in the rationale of the decision signed by Zudan since 11 August 2025.
In the sixth paragraph of that decision, all government agencies are required to use the National Civil Service Agency’s Talent Management Information System from 1 January 2026 to support the implementation of talent management across the ASN.”