CPNS Recruitment Postponed, Allegedly Due to Government Budget Limitations

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The postponement of the appointment of approximately 1.2 million prospective civil servants (CPNS) and government employees with work agreements (PPPK) is suspected to be closely related to the government's budget constraints. The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, the National Civil Service Agency, and Commission II of the DPR are urged to disclose the actual situation to the public to prevent ongoing controversy.

The Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan dan RB) has decided to postpone the appointment of approximately 1.2 million prospective state civil apparatus (CASN), consisting of CPNS and prospective PPPK. Initially, CPNS were scheduled to be appointed from February 22 to March 23, 2025. Meanwhile, participants of the first phase of PPPK were scheduled to be appointed in February 2025, and the second phase in July 2025.

However, this plan changed after a meeting between the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan and RB) and Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR) on March 5, 2025. Following the meeting, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini announced the postponement of the recruitment of CPNS and PPPK. The recruitment of CPNS was postponed to take place simultaneously on October 1, 2025, while PPPK on March 1, 2026.

Public policy observer Agus Pambagio believes that the delay in the appointment of CPNS and PPPK is closely related to the availability of government budgets and inter-ministerial coordination. "The number of ministries/agencies has increased, the number of provinces resulting from regional expansion has also increased, so what happens if there is no money? That is the issue why (the appointment of CPNS) is postponed," he said in Jakarta, Sunday (9/3/2025).

Agus stated that the government is currently implementing costly programs, including Free Nutritious Meals across all provinces in Indonesia. These programs require a relatively large budget, which limits the funding available for other programs and policies.

The budget constraints, according to Agus, are what led the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan RB) and the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) to propose delaying the recruitment of CPNS and PPPK. Amid this situation, the most realistic step the government can take is to ensure there is sufficient funding to appoint CPNS and PPPK.

"Budget revisions may only be possible in June or July 2025, so the recruitment of civil servant candidates is estimated to take place in October. Provided, of course, that there is funding," said Agus.

Regarding funding solutions, Agus stated the need for a more well-thought-out financial strategy. For instance, by maintaining the rupiah exchange rate below Rp15,000 per US dollar or ensuring the stock index returns to a favorable level.

It is this budget limitation that has prompted the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform and the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) to propose postponing the appointment of CPNS and PPPK.

In addition, Agus also emphasized that the DPR needs to be more critical in discussing the budget with the government. "The DPR must be more assertive, not just following the government. So far, the DPR has always agreed. Now it seems that the attitudes of the DPR and the government are different," he said.

In the minutes of the meeting of Commission II of the DPR with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, it was stated that in order to accelerate the arrangement of CPNS and PPPK for the 2024 formation, Commission II of the DPR asked the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform and BKN to complete the appointment of CPNS in October 2025 and the appointment of PPPK in March 2026.

However, the DPR considered that Kemenpan and RB misinterpreted the meeting's conclusion. According to Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the DPR from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (F-PDIP) Aria Bima, Commission II of the DPR gave the final deadline for the arrangement of CPNS in October 2025 and PPPK in March 2026.

That, Aria Bima continued, does not mean that the appointment of CPNS and PPPK in all agencies must be carried out simultaneously according to the deadline given. Agencies that can complete the arrangement faster are even asked to immediately appoint CPNS and PPPK who have passed the selection.

However, Kemenpan RB maintains that the decision to postpone the appointment of CPNS and PPPK was taken based on the results of the meeting. This was emphasized by the Deputy for Human Resources of Kemenpan and RB Aba Subagja. "The schedule adjustment is an agreement between the government and Commission II of the DPR, and this has been decided together," he said, Sunday.

Aba explained, those who have been declared to have passed and have been announced as CPNS, their positions are definitely safe and will be inaugurated according to the provisions. "We want the inauguration to be simultaneous. We are also making arrangements for our ASN," he said.

Menpan and RB Rini also touched on the issue of budget availability. She explained that the government must control ASN recruitment proportionally so as not to exceed the set budget limit. "Uncontrolled recruitment has an impact on the stability of regional government because the budget burden is too large," she said.

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 30 percent," said Rini.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) Haryomo Dwi Putranto in a broadcast on Youtube Kemenpan RB stated that so far there have been differences in the determination of the Starting Date (TMT) for the appointment of ASN in each ministry or institution. Therefore, the simultaneous appointment of CPNS and PPPK is intended to overcome the difference in TMT.

"So far, there are (ASN) who have worked, some have not. We do not want that to happen again. Those who apply should be appointed as ASN on the same date, get the same salary, work together. There should be no more different TMTs," he said.

According to Agus, it is likely that the polemic between the government and the DPR will continue to roll, because both parties have strong arguments. However, he hopes that the final decision regarding the appointment of CPNS can be officially announced soon by the government and the DPR.