Seminar scrutinizes govt productivity

Seminar scrutinizes govt productivity

JAKARTA (JP): The productivity of the public sector came under
scrutiny during a two-day seminar which concluded yesterday.

All discussion about improving the productivity of Indonesian
workers has so far concentrated on the private sector, but
officials and experts agree that the government too must show a
political will to improve the skill of its own workers.

State Minister of Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi, in his
presentation on Thursday, said government employees, from the
lowest to the highest ranks, should remember that they are public
servants.

"They were recruited to serve the public, and not to be
served," he said. He noted that a "feudalistic" attitude still
prevails among most government employees.

Citing an example, he said traffic police should prevent
violations rather than wait for them to occur so they can stop
motorists.

Silalahi said the government is demanding more from new
recruits and warned that there would be fewer job opportunities
for people with only primary school educations. "The past
recruitment system gave the civil service a bad image. It is
impossible to fire them now, but we can still upgrade their
skills and mentality gradually."

He said those with only primary school educations are among
the least productive in the civil service. "In the future, we
will recruit more university graduates, although there will still
be some openings for people with high school diplomas."

The number of civil servants has reached more than four
million, most of whom are elementary or junior high school
graduates. While education may be a factor, observers say low
productivity is also related to their salaries, which are among
the lowest of fixed income earners.

Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto
underlined the need for government employees to strengthen their
professionalism and productivity as Indonesia enters a more
competitive global market.

"The administration will play an important role in the free
market system," he said. "Our success in global competition will
partly depend on whether or not the government apparatus is able
to give clean and expedient services," he said in his keynote
address at the seminar.

Foreign investors will be reluctant to come to Indonesia if
they have to face an arduous and complex bureaucracy, he said.

He said the government would continue to deregulate the
economy in order to prepare the country for the arrival of the
free trade arrangements, first with its Southeast Asian neighbors
in 2003 and later in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020. (rms)