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.