[Kabar-indonesia] Yudhoyono urged to reform bureaucracy by merging state institutions

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Wednesday, August 2, 2006

SBY urged to merge agencies 

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should reform the bureaucracy by 
merging state institutions which have overlapping functions, Constitutional 
Court Chief Justice Jimly Asshiddiqie proposed Tuesday.

The 1945 Constitution requires that the bureaucracy be lean and effective, 
Jimly said in a speech commemorating the anniversary of the National 
Institute 
of Administration (LAN). 

"All state institutions have to be empowered to work effectively and 
efficiently," 
he said. 

He suggested the President liquidate the Development Finance Comptroller 
(BPKP) and transfer its tasks to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). 

"There should be only one state audit agency: BPK," he said, adding that 
Indonesia has too many redundant agencies outside those established by 
the Constitution. 

Besides assessing overlapping state agencies, he said, the President should 
reduce the size of the bureaucracy. 

"The whole administration is too large, making it inefficient; and LAN should 
have the authority to make it lean. The reform should start with the adoption 
of a law on public administration," he said. 

He added that the law should clearly distinguish among state officials, 
government officials and civil servants, especially in terms of treatment 
and rights. 

"For instance, the recent one-month extra salary should not have been given 
to state officials because they have enjoyed many allowances. It should have 
been given to civil servants and government officials in the bureaucracy," he 
said. 

He also said many state officials have enjoyed three or more pensions because 
they have multiple positions that each offer a pension. 

LAN Chairman Sunarno supported Jimly, saying that the government should 
review institutions for possible redundancy. 

For example, he said, the Home Ministry has two overlapping public 
administration institutes in Jakarta and Bandung. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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