Impact of Postponement of Appointment of National Civil Service Candidates, from Unemployment to Potential Disruption of Bureaucracy

Having passed the selection process, yet unable to serve. For thousands of prospective Civil Servants (CASN) who have been declared successful in the 2024 CASN selection, the beginning of the year should mark a new chapter in their lives. However, the hope of being inaugurated and starting their duties as state servants appears to be postponed longer than anticipated following an agreement to delay the appointment of CASN until October 2025.

The certainty of the appointment of participants who passed as civil servants (PNS) in October 2025 and the appointment of government employees with work agreements (PPPK) in March 2026 emerged during the Working Meeting and Hearing of Commission II of the DPR with the Ministry of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform and the National Civil Service Agency (BKN), at the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (5/3/2025).

After that information, criticism and public rejection of the decision echoed on social media platform X. Many netizens posted images of black ribbons with the text #SaveCASN2024 #TolakKebijakanTMTSerentak.

Netizens consider the policy to create uncertainty for CASN, especially for those who have already resigned from their previous jobs and moved to other regions where they were supposed to be appointed as CASN. Furthermore, many of the CASN who passed the selection process remain unemployed or without work.

The @Antimoo account, for example, wrote, "I haven't been paid for three months, do you want to continue? I've been volunteering for 3 months, if it's for a year, who will supply my finances? Reject the simultaneous CASN 2024 policy #SaveCASN2024 #RejectTMTserentakPolicy."

Furthermore, the account @LeAmigo17832 wrote, “PPPK who have already passed the CASN2024 selection are being told to wait until 2026? They won’t receive a salary from January to March 2025. Why is the policy so complicated?”

Public rejection also emerged in a petition via the Change.org channel entitled "Provide Acceleration of CPNS and PPPK Appointment Phase 1 2024." In less than 24 hours, the petition had been signed by 39,504 of the target of 50,000 signatures.

In the petition submitted by the account A.K., it was explained that the reasons for submitting the petition were to provide legal certainty and employment status to participants who passed the selection process, to avoid a workforce shortage in various institutions, and to ensure that the rights of participants who have passed are promptly granted appointment decrees and can begin their duties.

In addition, the petition was submitted to support the smooth running of public services, and also because many participants had resigned from their previous workplaces.

Responding to the rejection of the postponement of the appointment of CPNS and PPPK, the Ministry of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan and RB) said that the adjustment of the appointment schedule was the result of an agreement between the government and the DPR.

"Thank you for the suggestions and input provided, as input and consideration in the preparation and evaluation of policies to be discussed with the Indonesian House of Representatives and related stakeholders," said Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini.

Rini explained that there was no postponement of the appointment, there was only an adjustment to the appointment of CASN. The adjustment to the appointment of CASN was carried out because there were several obstacles, such as differences in the determination of the Effective Date (TMT) for the appointment of ASN in each ministry or institution.

Another reason is that Kemenpan and RB needs to align data on ASN formations, positions, and placements. In addition, there are also several government agencies that need time to complete the procurement of ASN appointments, and there are formation proposals from government agencies that need to be maximized.

For this reason, the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform and the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) ensured the simultaneous appointment of CPNS TMT on October 1, 2025 and PPPK on March 1, 2026. "For selection participants who have been declared to have passed the selection, they will still be appointed as PNS and PPPK as per the schedule agreed between the government and the DPR," said Rini.

In a meeting at Commission II of the DPR, Rini stated that the total CASN 2024 that had been announced on January 5, 2025 was 2,302,543 people, consisting of 429,183 people accepted at central agencies, 1,867,333 people at regional governments, and 6,027 people at civil service schools.

Meanwhile, the number of non-ASN employees who have not been appointed is 1,789,051 people based on the agreement of Commission II of the DPR regarding the appointment of non-ASN employees.

Rini also explained that the government must control ASN recruitment proportionally so as not to exceed the set budget limit. Uncontrolled recruitment risks reducing the budget portion for other sectors.

"Uncontrolled recruitment has an impact on the stability of regional government because the budget burden is too large," said Rini.

He said, the Law on Financial Relations between the Central Government and Regional Governments (UU HKPD) limits employee spending to a maximum of 30 percent of the total APBD. Currently, there are still several regions whose employee spending ratio is more than 30 percent, some even reaching 57.30 percent.

"The national average ratio of employee spending in the APBD reaches 37.18 percent. This must be reduced to a maximum of 30 percent," said Rini.

According to Professor of the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) Djohermansyah Djohan, the delay in appointment for 6 to 7 months is not normal. So far, the appointment of ASN has always been on time. "During the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko Widodo, there has never been a delay," he said.

The uncertainty affects the personal lives of prospective ASN. Many of them who previously worked and decided to resign from their workplaces, in order to focus on their assignments as ASN. Now, they are trapped in an uncertain situation and become temporarily unemployed.

"They failed to earn income to live independently. Some have graduated, moved to live in other areas because they were accepted as CASN outside the city, but now their status is unclear," said Djohermansyah.

Not only individuals are affected, but also government institutions, especially in public service sectors such as education, health, and public works.

This is because new ASN are usually recruited to fill positions left by retired employees. However, with this delay, various agencies are facing a shortage of manpower which has an impact on disrupting public services. In addition, the delay has an impact on strategic programs such as food and energy security, as well as the formation of new ministries.

Therefore, the decision to postpone the appointment should be reviewed. Even if it must be postponed, the time should not be too long. Remember, the lives of prospective ASN are at stake, as well as the running of the government.