Public services remain poor despite status change

Public services remain poor despite status change

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang Regental Council (DPRD) has endorsed a bylaw that
upgrades 77 villages in the regency into subdistricts, and regent
Ismet Iskandar has sworn in village chiefs there as acting
subdistrict heads.

But for the residents, things are pretty much the same. Public
services are as poor as ever, while the performance of
subdistrict heads and their apparatus remains mediocre after the
bylaw that upgraded the villages was endorsed by the local
council in early September.

"The upgrading of a village to a subdistrict has be followed
with an improvement in services to the public and in the
performance of subdistrict heads. Unfortunately, that has not
happened," A. Rachman, a resident of Cipayung subdistrict,
Ciputat told The Jakarta Post.

The Post observed over the weekend that it was business
as usual for local officials, including subdistrict heads, after
they were sworn in as acting subdistrict heads during a closed-
door swearing-in ceremony at the Pondok Cabe Udik subdistrict
office in Pamulang, Tangerang last Sept. 20.

Residents in Cipayung, for example, said that the performance
of subdistrict officials was no different from the performance of
village staff. Some residents had tried in vain for several days
to see acting subdistrict chief Mahmuddin.

"Bapak (subdistrict head Mahmuddin) is accompanying Ibu (his
wife)," said a subdistrict staff to several health officials who
had came to ask for funds for the national immunization program
(PIN).

Another guest coming to see the acting subdistrict head was
also disappointed after being told that Mahmuddin had gone out.

Mahmuddin's absence has encouraged his staff and office
employees to do whatever they liked.

Some staff were seen playing chess, others were just chatting,
while others read newspapers.

A similar situation was also seen at Pondok Ranji and Pondok
Aren subdistrict offices in Ciputat and Pondok Aren.

"After being upgraded, the subdistrict officials should offer
better services to the people since they are civil servants who
receive a salary from the government," said Cecep Suherman, a
resident of Pondok Ranji subdistrict.

He said civil servants cannot just work as they please.
"Services to the public must be improved. If they work like in
the past, what is the purpose of upgrading the village into a
subdistrict," he said.

He also called on regental councillors to closely monitor the
performance of subdistrict officials.

"Regental councillors should make unannounced visits to
villages so that they know what is good or what is bad after the
status changed," he said.