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Bloated staff thwarts bureaucratic reform
The government’s decision to set up teams of expert staffers at several ministries and other state agencies has sparked concerns among observers who fear the policy is a setback to the government’s bureaucratic reform agenda
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The government’s decision to set up teams of expert staffers at several ministries and other state agencies has sparked concerns among observers who fear the policy is a setback to the government’s bureaucratic reform agenda.
Social and political research institute Cakra Wikara Indonesia deputy chairman Dirga Ardiansa said the recent inauguration of teams of expert staffers and special staffers at various government institutions was an indirect result of the appointment of politicians as ministers in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s Indonesia Onward Cabinet.
“This is part of the effort [by the ministers] to secure the political interests of minister-level officials. They have political interests that need to be secured [such as] generating resources for the interests of their parties,” said Dirga. “There needs to be people who can secure their interests.”
Miftah Thoha, a public administration expert at Gadjah Mada University, said Indonesia’s relatively large bureaucracy was a result of the large number of ministries, currently 34, which he said led to one of the largest Cabinets in Southeast Asia.
Miftah also expressed concerns over Jokowi’s apparent move to utilize the position of assistants or staffers to accommodate his coalition.
For example, Jokowi has agreed on assigning two members of the NasDem Party, Taufiqulhadi and Zulfan Lindan, as special staff for Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil and Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate, respectively. Arya Sinulingga, a former member of the Perindo Party, has also been given the nod as a special staffer for State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.
Both NasDem and Perindo are political parties that supported Jokowi in the 2019 presidential elections.
“What concerns me the most is that many political figures have been assigned to the position as a reward from the President for his political allies,” Miftah said.
“This practice has been done ever since the New Order era and based on our repeated research throughout the years, those figures have not even understood the core duties of their respective ministries,” he added.
There are 17 political appointees in Jokowi’s second-term Cabinet, three of whom are chairmen of parties in his coalition, namely Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is also Gerindra Party chairman, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who leads the Golkar Party, and the United Development Party (PPP) chairman and National Development Planning Minister Soeharso Monoarfa.
Jokowi himself has appointed 13 special staffers who directly report to him, seven of whom are millennials such as founder of education technology start-up Adamas Belva Syah Devara and social entrepreneur and activist Angkie Yudistia, among others.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has also appointed eight expert staffers, most of whom have affiliations to the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), including NU leaders Muhammad Imam Azis and Robikin Emhas.
Meanwhile, Airlangga has appointed four special staffers, five people for the assistance team and six people — most of whom have business backgrounds — for the expert team.
“This is questionable because it signals that bureaucratic reform has gone nowhere. There is still the bloating [of bureaucracy] and the existing apparatus appears to be distrusted [by ministers],” said Dirga, who also highlighted the power-sharing practices when the Executive Office of the President appointed 13 advisors.
The advisors include former defense minister under then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and University of Indonesia sociologist Imam Prasodjo.
Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko brushed off concerns that the appointment of the advisors would add another layer of bureaucracy to the government’s policymaking process, adding that the office needed critical insights and input from the advisors.
“We are hoping they will act as a bridge so that communications are established between the State Palace and the public,” Moeldoko recently said, adding that the advisors were appointed based on their skills.
He claimed that the advisors did not receive monthly salaries or facilities like other public officials; therefore their appointment would not add to the burden of the state budget.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo recently appointed 13 advisors to advise him on maritime policies. The team members include former maritime affairs and fisheries minister Rokhmin Dahuri and international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has also inaugurated three expert staffers, five special staffers and two experts, the latter includes former Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor Mirza Adityaswara.
In addition, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadalia will also be allowed to appoint five special staffers and five expert staffers, according to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) 24/2020 on the BKPM.
Perpres No. 68/2019 stipulates that each ministry can promote up to five expert staffers and five special staffers. The appointment of the special staffers is subject to the President’s approval, according to the regulation. (glh)
