Revision of government rules on civil servants sought
JAKARTA (JP): A senior government official urged on Thursday a revision to government regulations on civil servants to avoid payroll and management disputes with the country's 4.5 million civil servants in the wake of regional autonomy.
"Government Regulations No. 96 to No. 100 which were issued in November last year stipulate that the regions will be responsible for the management of civil servants working for them," head of the National Employee Affairs Agency (BKN) Prijono Tjiptoherdanto told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
"It turns out that the regions are not prepared and this could turn into disadvantages for the employees because under the existing regulations, the regions can make up their own rules for promotion, transfer and other management matters," he said.
Therefore, BKN submitted a revision to the Presidential Office last month, urging national civil servant management be handled by the central government, he said.
No less than 2.3 million civil servants are now being transferred to the regions, with local administrations responsible for their management, welfare and salary with funding provided by the general allocation fund (DAU) from the state budget.
"We cannot have different standards of promotion, ranking, pension, transfer and other principle matters affecting civil servants' salaries. Therefore, it is better that we continue with a nationwide standard.
"There have been cases where people in the regions were promoted for no clear reason. Next thing we know the regions will have different standards and they can send people to early retirement.
"The regions should have prepared themselves better. Do not blame the central government alone (for any problems)," Prijono said.
His office along with the ministry of home affairs and regional autonomy will meet with all Indonesia governors on Jan. 9 to discuss the transfer of the civil servants.
In Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi, some 7,000 provincial civil servants were restless because as of Thursday they had not received their last month's salary.
"Up until today (Thursday), I haven't got my salary, but the clerk said it would probably arrive tomorrow (Friday). I wonder if this has something to do with the regional autonomy," Agus, a civil servant, told the Post.
Several treasurers of the civil servant corps, however, said that funds for salaries had not yet arrived.
"Usually, it comes on the first day of the month. We were told the funds have not yet been disbursed," a treasurer who asked not to be named said.
Among the civil servants yet to receive their pay checks are those from the Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
In Jakarta, Secretary General of the Ministry of National Education Hidayat Syarief said that civil servants must not worry about their salaries.
"Up until March, the salaries will be transferred through all State Treasury Offices (KPKN) as usual, since preparations for the new system (which is supposed to be done by the regions) is not yet ready.
"In the next three months, the regions must come up with complete listings and data of their employees. As the DAU fund has not yet fully been disbursed, the ministry of finance will take care of salaries initially," Hidayat said.
Hidayat said there are a total of 1.8 million employees of the ministry of national education in the regions, including elementary school teachers. (edt)