`Why not use the money to help the poor?'

`Why not use the money to help the poor?'

The government's reregistration program for civil servants
nationwide has its pros and cons. Many have questioned the Rp 11
billion budget allocated for the program, while others have
called on the government to use the money to improve the civil
servants' welfare. The Jakarta Post interviewed a few civil
servants on the issue.

Tri Winarno, 40, is a teacher at a state-run junior high
school in Tangerang. He lives in Serpong, Tangerang, with his
wife and daughter:

I have heard about the civil servants reregistration program,
but I haven't received any clear information about it, nor the
reregistration form. I underwent a similar screening in the past
and it was crystal clear that there was an underlying political
motive.

I wonder why the reregistration has now come up all of a
sudden. I guess it could also have political reasons behind it.
If it is intended to collect data on the civil servants, the
government should have done it during the recruitment process.

I think the program is ineffective -- and a waste of money.

The budget for the program could have been used to help low-
income people; or it could be used to raise the civil servants'
salary.

Iqbal, not his real name, 45, is a civil servant working at
the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. He lives in
Depok, West Java, with his wife and three children:

I have filled out the distributed reregistration form -- it
only asks about our working experience, achievements, courses we
have taken and the like.

There is nothing new at all in the reregistration process.
It's just simpler, since the form is only two pages.

What confuses me is its budget allocation -- it's too much.

If the government does not have complete data on all civil
servants, then it only needs to gather the missing ones, not on
all of us.

It would be better to allocate some of the funds to improve
civil servants' welfare which, in the end, will improve our
performance.

Meriem, 46, is a human resources manager at a state-owned
hotel on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. She lives in Kebon
Jeruk, West Jakarta, with her husband:

I haven't seen the reregistration forms at my office. Worse, I
haven't received any information on it.

The reregistration program is not a big deal, since it is
meant to update the data on civil servants. I'll comply and fill
out the needed information, as I believe there's no political
motive behind it.

However, the budget for the program is too much. It's a waste
of money.

With the ongoing military operation in Aceh, the money could
be used to improve education for Acehnese children. It could also
be used to provide education for street children.

The empowerment of human resources by providing better
education is far more vital and important than spending a lot of
money for an ineffective reregistration program.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.