Tuesday, 11 December 2012

MINISTER AGUS, MINISTER DAHLAN AND MINISTER GITA



What are the similarities of the three ministers? Firstly, the three respected ministers seem to have no political interest or least they do not admit to becoming member of certain political parties. Another similarity is that the three have never joined in bureaucracy, except Agus Martowardoyo, former president director of Bank Mandiri mostly owned by the Indonesian government. Secondly, viewed from media reportage, the three ministers record the best performance. If the parameter is measured from media reportage, they are very rate to encounter negative issue in either performance or deviating behavior, such as corruption issue.

Minister Dahlan is the most eccentric one, cleaning toilet at airport, opening toll gate so that cars could come into toll road quickly without paying ticket, selling E-Toll card of Bank Mandiri as if he complains about the action of the boss of the bank deemed less active in selling and promoting the toll card.

Minister Agus is more than eccentric. He was determined to buy Newmont share for the government, bring the case to the Supreme Court and declare his readiness to resign unless he lost and failed to purchase the share. Mr. Agus also hit table because he felt dejected at legislators delaying the legalization of assumption in Draft State Budget of 2013, complicating budgetary talks thus impeding substantial discussion.

On contrary, Mr. Gita is far from eccentric, even very polite. However, when he was assuming the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, he was very active to promote investment opportunities in Indonesia and design advertisement not less attractive than Malaysian tourism advertisement.

Yet, each shares the most important character, nothing to loose. As if they do not care whether they would be dismissed or not and they axe cute their tasks even though they must be in opposite to the will of legislative deemed unethical.

 It may be a result of their personal development for years. Mr. Dahlan and Mr. Pak Gita are businessmen and they have been accustomed to preparing work plan at the beginning of working period, prepare indicators of performance, abide by business rules internally and externally. Both are also successful to build their business without loan, namely media business by Dahlan and financial business by Gita. Mr. Agus constitutes the most conservative figure among the ministers because a banker is basically risk averse, and principally bank provides credit for the lowest risky business. Therefore, his action as minister should have considered all risks, including condemnation and dismissal.

Agus, Dahlan and Gita become a concrete evidence negating dogma saying that non-political minister won’t perform effectively because the minister has no foundation of political party support in the legislative. Even though they are appointed by President SBY and secure votes in the parliament in every budgetary debate, the Democrat Party is not majority in parliament, which is sufficient to secure the government vote in the parliament.

It’s not the point. The ministers could perform effectively because their action is strengthened by logic and rational arguments, far from hearsays behind the scene. In addition, they have character, nothing to lose, so that the ministerial post is far from effort to seek wealth, because their income in private sector is bugger than salary of minister plus the facility. If they stop assuming ministerial post, they could earn bigger income in private sector at anytime. 

If Vice President Budiono disclosed recently in his address in University of Gajah Mada that public position in administration is dedication, not aiming at seeking wealth, the three ministers may become reference. They work solely for the people.

In view of the performance of the three ministers, President SBY should replace quickly his ministers with the figures sharing of the same criteria as by three ministers. In addition, ministers consigned by political parties would be busy to hold campaign for General Election 2014. The president should be carried over by character “no-thing to lose”.

Business News - September 19, 2012
 

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