TULUNGAGUNG – Tulungagung administration has proposed 287 new CPNS positions while officially appointing dozens of civil servant candidates as permanent government employees this week.

The local government held a swearing-in ceremony, functional position inauguration, and appointment decree handover at the Prajamukti Hall on Tuesday.

Acting Regent of Tulungagung Ahmad Baharudin said the appointments followed the 2024 civil servant recruitment process.

According to him, a total of 74 people officially obtained civil servant status. The group consisted of 72 former CPNS recruits and two employees transferred into functional positions.

“There are 74 people in total,” Baharudin said. “Seventy-two come from the 2024 CPNS recruitment process, while two others entered through functional position transfers.”

He stressed that the new status should motivate the employees to improve performance and strengthen public services in Tulungagung.

The administration also expects the newly appointed civil servants to adapt quickly and contribute directly to government operations.

“After becoming permanent civil servants, we hope they will work with greater enthusiasm and provide their best performance for the Tulungagung administration,” he said.

At the same time, Baharudin acknowledged that the region still faces a long-standing staffing imbalance. The number of retiring employees remains higher than the number of newly recruited civil servants.

According to him, the issue has become a challenge for many local governments across Indonesia.

“More employees are retiring than being recruited,” Baharudin explained. “This situation also happens in many other regions.”

To address the shortage, the local administration continues coordinating with the Regional Civil Service and Human Resources Development Agency (BKPSDM).

Officials aim to fill vacant positions, especially jobs directly connected to public services.

Meanwhile, Head of Tulungagung BKPSDM Soeroto confirmed that the appointments came from the 2024 CPNS formation, which became effective on April 1, 2025.

“Today, 74 CPNS recruits officially became civil servants,” Soeroto said. “Two of them were immediately inaugurated into first-level functional positions.”

Looking ahead, the administration says Tulungagung still needs a significant number of government employees. BKPSDM has therefore proposed 287 CPNS positions for this year.

The largest portion of the proposed recruitment targets the healthcare sector. The administration plans to prioritize doctors, dentists, specialist doctors, nurses, midwives, and other medical workers.

“Most of the proposed positions focus on medical personnel,” Soeroto explained.

However, the proposal has not yet received final approval. The Tulungagung administration still awaits a decision from Indonesia’s Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenPAN-RB).

“We are still waiting for approval from the central government,” he said. “We will provide updates once there is further information.”

The proposal reflects growing staffing demands in regional administrations, especially in healthcare and public service sectors.