Coronavirus: Gov’t Issues New Regulation on State Apparatus Work System

Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform holds a press conference in Jakarta, Monday (16/3). Photo by: PR of Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms.

Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform has issued policy on State Civil Apparatuses (ASN) work system during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Circular aims to respond to the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia, the latest situation regarding the virus outbreak and President Joko Widodo’s directive delivered at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Sunday, 15 March 2020.

The policy is stipulated in Circular of Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform Number 19 of 2020 on Adjustment of Work System of State Civil Apparatuses in Preventing Covid-19 in Government Agencies. The Circular provides a guideline for the employees of government agencies in carrying out their duties through mechanism of Work from Home (WFH) as an effort to prevent and minimize the spread of Covid-19.

The objectives of the Circular are:

1. to prevent and minimize the spread of Covid-19 in the Government agencies and in the communities.
2. to ensure that the implementation of the tasks and functions of each Government agency can run effectively to achieve the performance of each organizational unit in Government agencies.
3. to ensure the implementation of public services in Government agencies can continue to run effectively.

The Circular covers provisions on:

1. Adjustment of the Work System
2. State Civil Apparatuses in Government agencies can conduct Work from Home (WFH). The Personnel Supervisor Officer (PPK) should ensure that there are at least 2 (two) highest level structural officials still carrying out their duties in the office so that the Government administration and services to the public are not disrupted.
3. The Personnel Supervisor Officer in Ministries/Institutions/Regional Governments should provide work systems that are accountable in regulating officials/employees in the working unit who conduct WFH by considering: type of work, official map of Covid-19 distribution from the Government, employee’s domicile, employee’s health condition, employee’s family health condition (with status of under monitoring/suspected/under surveillance/tested positive for Covid-19), history of employee’s overseas travel in the last 14 days, history of employee’s interaction with Covid-19 patient in the past 14 days, and the effectiveness of the implementation of tasks and services of organizational units.
4. State Civil Apparatus who conduct WFH must stay in their respective homes/residences except in urgent circumstances (related to food availability, health, personal and family safety and must report it to their direct supervisor).
5. State Civil Apparatuses who conduct WFH can attend important meetings through teleconference/video conference facilities.
6. State Civil Apparatus who conduct WFH is still entitled to performance allowance provided by the Government.
7. Implementation of WFH applies until 31 March 2020 and will be further evaluated.
8. After the end of the aforementioned work system, the head of the Government agency evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation and reports it to the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform.

II Management of Activities and Business Travel

1. A face-to-face activity that includes many participants should be postponed/canceled.
2. Meetings should be conducted in accordance with priority and urgency by utilizing Information Technology (IT) and available electronic media.
3. If there must be a face to face meeting due to a very high urgency, it is necessary to pay attention to the safe distance between meeting participants (social distancing).
4. Domestic business travel is carried out selectively according to the scale of priorities and urgency. Overseas business travel should be postponed.
5. State Civil Apparatus who have traveled to countries that have contracted Covid-19 or who have interacted with Covid-19 patient should immediately contact the Corona Hotline Center via telephone number 119 ext. 9 and /or Halo Kemkes at number 1500567.

III. Implementation of Health Standards

The Personnel Supervisor Officer in Government agencies should immediately take measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within government agencies, in accordance with the Covid-19 Handling Protocol issued by the Government of Indonesia as well as directive of Ministry of Health to sterilize/disinfect the workplace of each government agency.

1. Health Report
2. The High-Ranking Manager or the Head of the Working Unit should immediately report to the working unit that carries out the duties and functions of personnel affairs in the respective Government agencies in the event that there is employee under the status of monitoring and/or suspected and/or under surveillance and/or tested positive for Covid-19.
3. The Personnel Supervisor Officer in Ministries/Institutions/Regional Governments should submit reports on State Civil Apparatuses with status under monitoring and/or suspected and/or under surveillance and/or tested positive for Covid-19 to the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform.
4. Other Provisons
5. Heads of Government agencies are responsible for carrying out and supervising the implementation of the provisions of the Circular.
6. Provisions for further implementation are stipulated by the Personnel Supervisor Officer in Ministries/Institutions/Regional Governments.
7. In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform stipulates the following:
8. Routine ceremonies or activities involving many participants should be canceled.
9. State Civil Apparatuses should maintain personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle and carry out health procedures in accordance with the Health Protocol of the Government for Handling Covid-19.
10. State Civil Apparatus is expected to carry out the duties without disrupting the administration of Government and public services, while at the same time prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Indonesia. (PR of Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms/ EN)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Mia Medyana