The Paradox of the Finance Regulation on the Welfare of State Servants

The government runs this country with a bureaucratic system in accordance with the application of good governance values. This bureaucracy moves with the limitation of the position structure.

Then, positions are occupied by human resources in accordance with the duties, principals, and job functions within the structure of authority and power.

The government is divided according to the wishes of the President in running the bureaucracy. The division of the bureaucracy can be seen from the division of the number of ministers.

The more ministers, the more bureaucracy that works. However, there are several bureaucracies that have not changed even though the head of state has changed, such as the minister of interior, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance, minister of defense, minister of youth and sports, and minister of education and higher education.

To run the organization, state money is the most appropriate support in planning, implementing, and evaluating the performance of the bureaucracy.

On this principle, the minister of finance manages all of Indonesia's finances. The technical management of government finances, both central and regional, is contained in the Regulation of the Minister of Finance.

During the global pandemic, the Minister of Finance issued regulations that basically evaluated the budget management of the entire bureaucracy.

This Regulation of the Minister of Finance regulates the limitations of bureaucratic activities inside and outside the office, restrictions on official travel, restrictions on receiving honoraria as resource persons, minutes, moderators, and meeting participants.

This Regulation of the Minister of Finance forces state servants to work according to a fixed wage, without additional income.

On the other hand, the cost of human living during a pandemic cannot rely solely on salaries.

For example, the standard needs of a simple family living in the capital city is around Rp. 7,000,000 to Rp 10,000,000 a month. These costs can be detailed in the financing for renting a house, for three meals a day and one night, operational costs in the form of fuel, electricity bills, credit or internet packages, and other needs.

In reality, a contractor who is in an institution such as the General Elections Supervisory Agency is not able to meet the requirements of these standards.

Income added with performance instruments only received around Rp. 4,300,000 to Rp. 5,000,000 in terms of years of service and education status.

As a result of the regulation of the minister of finance, it is difficult for contract workers who serve the state to meet standard requirements, while the work they do must complete certain work programs.

On the other hand, the salaries received by state servants in the ministry of finance are far more prosperous than the salaries received by contract workers in other government agencies.

Based on the existing regulations and clear requirements, the legal policies related to central finances which are detailed in the rules regarding the fees received by state servants who are contract workers cannot support the family's needs.

Moreover, there are civil servants who have two children in the family. Thus, application-based loans are included in the fast solution that is downloaded and used by contractors

Change Suggestion

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment must restore the arrangements regarding honorariums received by state servants. Because meeting honors in the office is the best solution.

Even though civil servants cannot go on official trips or are not allowed to carry out activities at hotels.

During the meeting in the office, the permission of the state servant to be the resource person or moderator, so long as the additional funds for survival can guarantee the minimum basic needs to live in Jakarta during the pandemic.

Second, the Ministry of Finance must increase the income from contract workers at least equal to the income received by civil servants working in the Jakarta Provincial Government.

The amount of salary for civil servants is regulated through Government Regulation (PP) Number 15 of 2019 concerning the Eighteenth Amendment to Government Regulation Number 7 of 1977 concerning Regulation of Civil Servant Salaries.

For civil servants in DKI Jakarta, the amount of the allowance is regulated in DKI Jakarta Governor Regulation Number 64 of 2020 concerning Amendments to Governor Regulation Number 19 of 2020 concerning Additional Employee Income.

The amount of allowances in this regulation is indeed relatively large compared to civil servants in other government agencies or institutions