Hot Chairs For Placement Of Government Officials In BUMN

The new logo of BUMN (doc. Public Relations of BUMN)

JAKARTA - Recently, State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) have returned to the public spotlight, starting from employee performance to concurrent positions in government-owned companies. Some are concerned that the placement of government officials will weaken supervision of state-owned companies and encourage the liberalization of BUMN.

Chairman of the Indonesian Food Observer Society (Mappan), Wignyo Prasetyo, for example, said that the presence of government officials as commissioners of BUMN should be responded positively. This is none other than to maximize supervision of the interests of the state and also the people.

"The appointment of commissioners from government officials in BUMN is to ensure the interests of shareholders, namely the government. Then the authority is delegated to government officials assigned to the position of commissioners," said Wignyo in a written statement, Monday, July 13.

According to him, the placement of government officials as commissioners in a number of BUMNs does not violate the rules as long as they have competence. In addition, government officials also have a command work system that is obedient and loyal to the top and the state.

On the other hand, criticism of the placement of government officials in BUMN Commissioners is actually a structured attempt to release government supervision of BUMN. Where this polemic was initially raised by Ombudsman officials some time ago.

"I think behind this polemic there are those who want to try and roll out the discourse of BUMN liberalization by placing all BUMN commissioners from the private sector. Yes, we will see where it will go," he said.

Meanwhile, public policy observer Yasef Firmansyah assessed that the placement of government representatives in the position of commissioners was to ensure that BUMN sided with the interests of fulfilling appropriate, available and affordable public goods.

However, he emphasized, government representatives who are placed in BUMN must also be in accordance with their duties in government agencies, both in terms of financial and technical aspects. So that the government as a shareholder in BUMN can monitor its interests properly and correctly through its representatives who are placed as commissioners.

"The concern that the Ombudsman representing the government who serves as a commissioner will interfere with the function of ASN in the state bureaucracy is groundless. It seems he has forgotten that the main task of the government is to ensure that public services are accepted by society. One of them is to guard state instruments including BUMN to provide public goods," he said.

Ombudsman Spotlight

Previously, the issue of concurrent positions in BUMN was re-surfaced after the Ombudsman public service supervisory agency highlighted several recent developments regarding commissioners from political parties, active members of the TNI / Polri to the State Civil Service (ASN / PNS).

Ombudsman member Alamsyah Saragih said some of the dominant issues were the competence of commissioners who came from political volunteers. "How can a political volunteer occupy a certain commissioner position, whether the competence is appropriate. This is also part of what we see."

The same thing is also a concern for the Ombudsman regarding the placement of commissioner positions in BUMN by active members of the TNI / Polri. This clearly contradicts the explicitly stated rules.

"Maybe we also understand that some BUMNs have the competence of the TNI, maybe at Pelindo, airports and so on. But of course, it must be clear which BUMN are allowed and what are the consequences for the TNI and Polri that are placed there. a presidential regulation is needed, "he explained.