The arrest of Klaten Regent Sri Hartini and seven other people by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a sting operation (OTT) in Klaten on Friday, December 30 2016, should be a momentum in improving government bureaucratic reform, both central and regional.

This was conveyed by the Director of the Center for Information and Regional Studies (PATTIRO), Maya Rostanty, “This must be a momentum for improving the bureaucracy, this could be not only Klaten but also other regions. “And that shows that bureaucratic reform in the regions is still homework for the Jokowi-JK government,” said Maya.

Government Regulation (PP) Number 18 of 2016 concerning Regional Apparatus, said Maya, is actually a good step for the government in forming a lean, efficient and accountable regional government.

“The intention of the PP is good to regulate the State Civil Apparatus (ASN). “Unfortunately, this intention was fooled by the practice of buying and selling positions,” explained Maya.

For this reason, Maya hopes that the initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to draft a Minister of Home Affairs Regulation (Permendagri) concerning Supervision of State Civil Apparatus, must also include mechanisms for position changes, transfers or promotions that anticipate and mitigate opportunities and practices of buying and selling positions.

Apart from including this mechanism, Maya also hopes that the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation can be completed before the Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is finished. Because, after the regional elections, it is suspected that there will be many large-scale mutations which are feared to give rise to the practice of mass buying and selling of positions in various regions.

It is hoped that the presence of the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation which regulates changes in positions will not only prevent the practice of buying and selling positions after the regional elections, “It will also minimize bad practices in regular position promotions,” stressed Maya.