Gulö Highlights Indonesia’s Youthful and Open-Minded Civil Service

It will come as a surprise to many Indonesians when they learn about the significant transformation that has taken place within the Indonesian bureaucracy, particularly at the level of young and millennial civil servants. In a recent talk show, host Rachel Amanda explored this positive shift with Jaya Setiawan Gulo, a 33-year-old civil servant working at the Finance Ministry.

Gulo has been recognized with several awards for his outstanding achievements and innovative contributions as a young bureaucrat. Sri Mulyani, the Minister of Finance, was impressed by Gulo’s abilities and personally invited him to work for the ministry’s Secretariat General in 2019.

Since his younger days, Gulo’s aspiration was to follow in his father’s footsteps as an entrepreneur, inspired by his father’s success in comparison to his civil servant mother in terms of income, connections, and social standing. However, due to his father’s business going bankrupt, Gulo had to secure a scholarship to pursue further studies. As the eldest son, he became the pillar of support for his family.

In 2008, Gulo was admitted to the esteemed Finance Ministry’s Polytechnic of State Finance (STAN) for a one-year program (D1) in the Custom and Excise Department. ” I was lucky because I automatically become a civil servant when accepted at STAN,” Gulo explained.

Amanda then inquired about how Gulo adapted to working with more senior colleagues at the ministry, given the public perception that government offices are often dominated by senior civil servants who are resistant to change.

“There’s always a generation gap between millennials and the senior staff at the office. The senior employees possess a wealth of experience due to their longer work experience, making them more knowledgeable. We, the millennials, lack that level of experience in comparison,” Gulo explained.

What is the advantage of young bureaucrats? 

“We can offer a strong work ethic, always eager to learn and explore new horizons, and crucially, we possess a mastery of technology along with a keen awareness and understanding of high-tech advancements,” explained Gulo, a graduate of the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Economics.

“Our more senior colleagues and superiors lack this technological expertise. They’re somewhat behind in technological advancements. However, as the younger generation, we may not possess the maturity required to conceive innovative concepts and applications. We seek guidance from those with extensive experience,” added Gulo.

When Amanda inquired about the difference between government offices and the private sector, Gulo acknowledged that civil servant bureaucracy can be long and tiring.

However, the Finance Ministry has undergone a lot of changes. “By design, I no longer need to physically approach my superior for a signature. I simply use an application to obtain a digital signature. I experienced this at the Finance Ministry, and hopefully, this streamlined system is also practiced in other ministries.”

“At the Finance Ministry, we have Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are quantifiable measures of performance over time for specific objectives. They set targets for teams, provide milestones to measure progress, and offer insights to help improve decision-making throughout the organization,” mentioned Gulo.

When questioned about the repercussions of failing to meet the KPIs, he responded, “Our take-home pay will decrease if we fail to meet the KPI targets.”

Regarding how to excel at the highest level, Gulo emphasized following the advice of the finance minister. Ministry civil servants should maintain a broader perspective and not solely focus on their current roles.

“We also try to learn about best governance practices. However, learning isn’t confined to Indonesia alone. During weekends, I strive to interact with individuals working in the private sector, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to broaden my perspective,” he shared.

In 2014, Gulo was elected as the co-chair of the Indonesia-Netherlands Youth Society. He learned valuable lessons about punctuality and directness in expressing opinions from his Dutch friends. They communicated straightforwardly. He also initiated the School Projects (2016-2019) and served as the communication director of Indonesia Go Global (2013-present).

He highlighted that he gained many invaluable insights from visiting numerous countries and studying in the US. “We learn not only from developed countries but also from middle-income nations and even the least-developed ones.”

Gulo further explained his accomplishments in developing a Custom Declaration Online Application at the international Kuala Namu Airport. Before having the application, incoming visitors had to fill out paper forms, a manual process. The online system proved advantageous.

“Incoming passengers can complete the form at their departure airport. Once submitted, they receive a QR code. Upon arrival at Kuala Namu Airport, they show the QR code to customs and excise officers.”

Gulo was honored with the Inspiring Civil Servants Award from the Bureaucratic Reform in 2016. In 2017, he earned the Inspiring Custom and Excise Civil Servants Award from the Customs and Excise Directorate General. In 2018, the Finance Ministry recognized him with the Most Outstanding Staff Award. Subsequently, in 2019, he received the Most Outstanding Civil Servant Award from the Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

After dedicating nearly a decade to Medan, Gulo was promoted by Minister Sri Mulyani personally to work at the Finance Ministry’s Secretariat General Office. Gulo serves in the Communication and Information Services Bureau, handling content creation and social media, covering topics related to state financial literacy.

Gulo and his friends established the ‘Let’s Become Civil Servant Community’ handle on Instagram. Presently, it has 31,000 followers, primarily comprising young individuals eager to learn about the prospects of a civil servant career.

What advice does Gulo have for young people?

“Continuously seek out new experiences and don’t fear failure. To those embarking on their professional journey, prioritize actions over mere words. Strive to be someone who brings honor to your homeland,” he emphasized in his concluding statement.