Public services under scrutiny

Public services under scrutiny

JAKARTA (JP): Abdul Kahfi, the new deputy governor for
administrative affairs, said yesterday that he was in the process
of evaluating procedures regarding the provision of public
services by city officials.

The evaluation was part of his pledge to cut unnecessary red
tape and waste in the administration, he said.

"I will try to make several changes to the procedures,
including bypassing the arduous processes of having to go to so
many desks," he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The complicated and time-consuming procedures are due to the
many signatures and approvals people need to process application
papers, he said.

"I will streamline the system and make the necessary
adjustments in certain procedural processes. I hope my office
will manage to reduce the number of administrative desks," Kahfi
said, without giving further details.

"I know there are several posts considered by some officials
as "wet" from which they can gain a lot of money. In my term as
deputy governor, I will try my best to eliminate these."

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja urged city officials Thursday to
stop their bad habits and greedy attitude of giving slow
services.

Such habits would hamper the city's programs to cut the
burdensome red tape, he said.

"One of the most important things in this global era is to
manage public services well. Don't just give lip service, but do
the job. There is no room for over-sized bureaucracies in the
future," he said.

Surjadi said it was time for city officials to awake from
their lazy habits. "Don't be greedy over giving the public good
service," he said, citing the example of city officials who ask
for payment before processing application papers.

"The greedy attitude must be stopped. It's our duty to serve
society. If every service is valued by money, no wonder
corruption grows well in city's offices," the outgoing governor
said.

Surjadi said that if officials' bad attitudes were not altered
soon, he doubted whether the city officials would be able to
survive global competition.

He cited the example of Jakarta's main food market, which has
not developed as well as expected because the farmers intending
to sell their goods there face so many levies.

"How can the farmers survive if they remain poor, either in
terms of knowledge, money or management?" Surjadi asked. (07)