Jakarta – Good and democratic governance requires increasingly improved performance and accountability of officials. This has become an absolute competency standard for government officials in realizing a bureaucracy system that is tactical and ready to face global challenges. The Acting Head of the National Administration Institute (LAN), Dr. Muhammad Taufiq, DEA emphasized these points when receiving an audience from the Civil Service Commission of Timor-Leste, in the Leadership Meeting Room, LAN Office, Jalan Veteran No 10, Central Jakarta, Friday (1/3/2024).

Muhammad Taufiq stated that personnel reform is the culmination point of bureaucratic reform. “Personnel reform, mindset, pride in being Civil Servants (ASN), proud to serve the nation is very much needed. With self-pride as part of the bureaucracy, it will produce competent officials. These quality employees will be the driving force behind the bureaucratic reform,” he continued.

“Therefore, LAN is opening opportunities to accept students for study assignments with government scholarships from Timor-Leste. LAN is ready to facilitate and accelerate reform within the framework of cooperation between LAN and the Civil Service Commission of Timor-Leste. For this, I warmly welcome the meeting with an audience agenda as the initial step in establishing cooperation,” concluded Muhammad Taufiq.

On that occasion, the President of the Civil Service Commission of Timor-Leste, Mr. Agostinho Letencio de Deus, who led the Timor-Leste delegation, expressed his warm greetings. The Timor-Leste government currently needs input from LAN regarding competency development, capacity building concepts, personnel reform, and public administration reform for the establishment of a reliable bureaucratic reform system.

“Regarding competency development for officials, the Timor-Leste government hopes for cooperation in opening classes with the Polytechnic STIA LAN Jakarta for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels,” said Letencio, who is an alumnus of STIA LAN Jakarta in 2008. According to him, the curriculum of Polytechnic STIA LAN Jakarta is very relevant to the needs of government officials. In addition to theoretical learning, students are also given practical learning in the field of administration. This is very useful for governance in Timor-Leste,” said Letencio. One of the prideful alumni of Polytechnic STIA LAN Jakarta who has a brilliant career in Timor-Leste.

Director of Polytechnic STIA LAN Jakarta Prof. Dr. Nurliah Nurdin, M.A who was present on the occasion, is very hopeful that the cooperation that has been established between the Timor-Leste government and STIA LAN Jakarta can be re-established in the near future in the scope of opening class cooperation.

Also present at the event were the LAN Chief Secretary, Dra. Reni Suzana, MPPM, Deputy for Competency Development, Dr. Basseng. M.Ed, high-ranking LAN officials, and the Director of Polytechnic STIA LAN Jakarta. Meanwhile, from the Timor-Leste government, present were Workforce Commissioner, José Telo Soares Cristovão, Reform Commissioner Fausto Freitas da Silva, Executive Secretary of SCFP, Maria da Costa Oliveira; Chief of Cabinet of the President of CSC, Rosvita Calapez Pires, Sub-Inspector Manuel da Silva, Director General (Ministry of Finance Timor-Leste) Joanico Pinto; Director of Finance, Mr. Belizario Rafael Magno Pereira, Director of Protocol and Social Communication Lídia A. Imaculada Conceição, and a representative from the Timor-Leste Embassy, Agostinho Barreto.