1.8 Million Honorary Still Working At Ministries And State Institutions Ahead Of November 2023

Illustration of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN). (Between)

JAKARTA - Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Menpan RB) Abdullah Azwar Anas said that based on temporary data, there are still 1.8 million honorary or non-state civil servants (ASN) working in ministries/agencies.

The data is in the midst of the Kemenpan RB policy which will officially remove honorary staff in ministries or government agencies starting November 28, 2023.

"It turned out that after there was an absolute accountability letter, it fell to 1.8 million but there were still 100 K/L who had not submitted it. We are still 'cleaning' the data as well," said Azwar Anas when met at the Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex, Thursday.

Azwar explained that his party continues to collect data because there are still 100 agencies that have not submitted data on the latest number of non-ASN.

In the Plenary Cabinet Session with President Joko Widodo, he said that Kemenpan RB together with regional leadership associations and Commission II of the DPR RI were reviewing the best options that did not carry out non-ASN mass dismissals.

The President asked that there be a middle ground for millions of honorary workers who have not been appointed as ASN.

According to him, the option of mass dismissal will affect public services because honorary workers actually help the government, especially in remote areas.

"There are many in the flare towers, in various areas there are many non-ASN which in fact they help extraordinaryly," he said.

Meanwhile, the government cannot appoint all honorary staff to become ASN because it will burden the state budget.

The plan to abolish honorary power is contained in the Letter of the Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform signed by Tjahjo Kumolo on May 31, 2022.

The letter describes the Civil Service Status in the Central Government and Regional Government Agencies addressed to Personnel Guidance Officers (PPK) at Ministries/Central or Regional Institutions.