The Covid-19 outbreak that swept across countries became a challenge and test for policy makers in making effective, courageous and impactful policies. Fast and appropriate policies accompanied by strong institutions are able to make the country face this rapid and widespread epidemic. Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Science Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI) Eko Prasojo said that the great homework of the Indonesian people was the absence of strong institutions (strong governance), so that in handling the Covid-19 outbreak still facing complex problems.
“In normal conditions without outbreaks, we can see how much public service that runs well, moreover in a crisis and emergency like this. For that, strong institutions become an important condition for development. In normal circumstances (good governance) we are not able, not effective, and inefficient. Developed countries like America are overstaffed in dealing with outbreaks like this, let alone us, “he said in the Covid-19 Handling Webinar in his Institutional Review and Funding Scheme on Thursday (4/30/20).
In addition, according to Eko, the Covid-19 outbreak was also a momentum of change for the Indonesian people going forward in creating an efficient, effective and impactful bureaucracy.
“Because we have so much fragmentation between the Ministry of Agencies in this country. The potential inefficiency of the inter-ministerial budget after I calculate is able to reach 300 to 400 trillion. There are still many overlapping activities that have no outcome or impact, so this is our big PR,” he explained.
The Deputy Minister of PAN-RB of the SBY era also recommended that the President as Champion of the Top be able to issue us a new Presidential Regulation (Perpres) concerning management of handling in the context of national health emergencies, such as flow of authority from various institutions assigned tasks , including from the Ministry of Health, the Head of BNPB, and also the Minister of Home Affairs so that confusion did not occur in its implementation.
In line with what was conveyed by Eko Prasojo, Professor of FIA UI Irfan Ridwan Maksum also emphasized that the hope box at the moment is inevitable in the General Government, especially the President as Champion of the Top.
“In addition, it is time for the Government to involve various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in handling this epidemic. The people who understand the virus best are health people, so involve health experts and experts and the government must be brave to make a breakthrough,” he said.
According to him, the complex problem that is happening right now is a broken chain of command between the center and the regions.
“For example there is overlapping of functions and tasks between BNPB and BPBD, if with the current assistance task. The assistance task is only a physical project, it must also be moved to non-physical. None other than this, inevitably the President must directly be the Champion of the Top, “he said.
It is known, this event is one of a series of Webinars on “Contribution of Thought to Indonesia (UI): Social, Health, and Institutional Review in Handling Covid-19 Pandemic” organized by DISTP University of Indonesia.
