Gov’t to Create Performance-Boosting Workforce Ecosystem for State Civil Apparatus

President Jokowi opens the 2023 National Work Meeting of the Indonesian Civil Servant Corps (Korpri) at Mercure Hotel and Convention in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/03). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Agung)

Bureaucratic reforms must create a workforce ecosystem that boosts the performance, achievements, and innovation of state civil apparatus (ASN) across the country, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

For that reason, the President has ordered Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms Abdullah Azwar Anas to formulate clear benchmarks related to that issue.

“I have said it to Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms. There must be clear benchmarks. There must be clear rewards. They must not work until midnight,” he said at the opening of the 2023 National Work Meeting of the Indonesian Civil Servant Corps (Korpri) at Mercure Hotel and Convention in Jakarta on Tuesday (10/03).

According to President Jokowi, ASN’s performance can be assessed based on the success of programs of economic growth, inflation control, and poverty alleviation in their respective region.

“A regional secretary cannot be inaugurated if they cannot, for example, increase economic growth in a regency by more than six [percent]. That should be the measurement, not accountability letter that makes things complicated. We are trapped in such a system,” he said.

The President further stated that ASN’s work orientation must be changed so that Indonesia can seize various opportunities to become a developed country and avoid the middle income trap.

“That should be the big missions of our bureaucracy, our ASN. The orientation must be changed. However, the change starts with the center, with the system, rules, and regulations. It must be done so that the orientation changes. If not, as the Chairperson [of Korpri] has said, we will be trapped in the middle income trap,” he said.

The President also underscored the need for high flexibility and agility in facing current challenges and rapidly changing world while ordering his administration to revoke regulations that hinder bureaucratic agility and flexibility.

“ASN must change their character. They must not be monotonous. They must not be stuck in a routine. They must be innovative and adaptive to changes. Do minimize regulations, be it laws, ministerial regulations, regional regulations, office regulations, ministerial regulations, or regulations of director generals,” he said.

In addition, the President urged ASN to make the most of technology and digitalization as well as to enhance collaboration between Government institutions to achieve the goals of the Government.

“From my point of view, ministries remain working in silos. They work individually and where they meet is unclear. That is what I have tried to handle for the past nine years, to make them have one shared objective. They must support each other to achieve that objective,” he remarked. (TGH/UN) (DH/MMB)