Seputarkarawang.com - Karawang, The practice of recruiting freelance daily workers (THL) within the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Karawang is currently under sharp scrutiny. This polemic arose after legal practitioner and public policy observer, Asep Agustian (Askun), indicated that there was non-compliance with the Karawang Regency Government's policy regarding the elimination of honorary staff who should have been replaced by a part-time Government Employee with Work Agreement (PPPK) system.This harsh criticism pointed to the existence of a THL with the initials "A" who was allegedly still actively working in the Water Resources (SDA) Sector of the PUPR Service. Askun assessed that the persistence of non-ASN personnel has violated the regent's regulations which prohibit every Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) from adding personnel outside the applicable provisions. He admitted that he had warned the department long ago, but the warning seemed to have been ignored for reasons of technical necessity.Apart from the legal aspect, Askun also questioned the transparency and accountability of the budget regarding the employee's honorarium. Doubts have arisen regarding the source of funds used to pay THL salaries, considering that the budget post for honorary staff has officially been eliminated. "If it is paid from an official's personal pocket, it will certainly trigger new questions. However, if it uses state funds, this is clearly a serious administrative violation," stressed Askun, Monday (11/5/2026).
This spotlight is increasingly heated in line with allegations of transactional practices in work projects at the service. Askun is concerned that the existence of THL that does not comply with procedures could damage the agency's image in the eyes of the public and cause social jealousy for other OPDs that have complied with the rules for eliminating honoraria. He urged the Regional Secretary and Head of the Karawang PUPR Service to immediately take firm steps in the form of dismissing the relevant staff in order to maintain the dignity of bureaucratic policy.Responding to these accusations, the Head of the SDA Division of the Karawang PUPR Service, Tri Winarno, clarified that his party was not carrying out new recruitment or formal contract extensions. According to him, the presence of the staff with the initials "A" is only temporary to help complete last year's administration and accountability report (SPJ) which is currently the object of examination by the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) so that there are no findings that are detrimental to the region. Even though there are administrative reasons, the public still demands clarity regarding time limits and work procedures within the PUPR Service so that they remain in line with applicable legal corridors. This case is a test for governance under the leadership of the Regent of Karawang, where firmness in enforcing personnel regulations is the key to avoiding deeper abuses of authority at the sectoral level.
