Corruption, who cares?<\/p>\n
\"I don't care,\" has apparently become a catchphrase among
\ngovernment officials, following President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono's example. Responding to a survey showing his declining
\npopularity, the President said earlier this month: \"I don't care
\nabout my popularity.\"<\/p>\n
The President's words have given others in his circle an idea
\nor two. Minister of Finance Yusuf Anwar, when asked about a
\nsurvey by Transparency International Indonesia (TII) showing the
\ncustoms office as the most corrupt institution in the country,
\nsaid on Thursday, \"Just let it go. I don't care.\"<\/p>\n
A similar response also came from Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso
\nover the labeling of Jakarta as the most corrupt city in the
\ncountry by the TII. Although he did not use the words \"I don't
\ncare\", Sutiyoso retorted that the wrong businesspeople were
\nprobably selected as respondents -- those who did not win tenders
\nfor city projects.<\/p>\n
The indifference of Yusuf and Sutiyoso is particularly
\nworrying as it is in response to corruption within institutions
\nunder their command.<\/p>\n
The TII's survey, which places the customs office as the most
\ncorrupt institution in the country, is actually not surprising.
\nIt just confirms public perception, and even a previous survey by
\nthe World Bank that ranks customs and also the tax office as two
\nof the most corrupt institutions. The TII survey puts the tax
\noffice in 11th place on its list of most corrupt institutions.<\/p>\n
Rather than belittling the survey, the minister should have
\nused it as a tool to further pressure the customs office to
\nimprove on its performance, or to set about removing corrupt
\nofficials from the customs office.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Sutiyoso's serious consideration of the results
\nwould have been more reassuring than his defensiveness. Actually,
\nhis argument -- that it makes sense that most corruption cases
\noccur in Jakarta as 70 percent of financial transactions in the
\ncountry take place in the capital -- could be spot on. However,
\nstating the obvious as a defense just sounds like making excuses.<\/p>\n
At the very least, Sutiyoso and Yusuf should have welcomed the
\nresults as a commendable effort from the TII in the fight against
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the TII's 2004 Indonesian Corruption Perception Index
\nsurvey is a good reminder to all of us of our duty to refuse to
\ntolerate corruption in our government, as well as in our society.<\/p>\n
Any civil effort, no matter how small, strengthens the
\ncampaign against corruption, particularly at a time when the
\nlegal institutions at the helm of the corruption fight are
\nstruggling in their mission.<\/p>\n
One of the most important of these institutions is the
\nCorruption Eradication Commission (KPK), an independent
\ninstitution established in 2002, following a prolonged tug-of-war
\nbetween the government and members of the House of
\nRepresentatives. While it struggles to bring to justice big-time
\nembezzlers, the latest Constitutional Court verdict was a major
\nblow for the commission.<\/p>\n
Although the verdict recognizes the commission's existence, it
\nsays the commission can not try cases that predate its
\nestablishment.<\/p>\n
Another key institution in the fight against corruption is the
\nAttorney General's Office. Interestingly, in a hearing between
\nHouse Commission II and III and the Attorney General's Office on
\nThursday, one legislator referred to the office as a \"village of
\nthieves\", prompting a heated debate. Although this statement was
\nprobably politically motivated, it also stirs in us the uneasy
\nfeeling that we can not hope for too much from prosecutors in
\nsending major corruption suspects to prison.<\/p>\n
Is our battle against corruption really so futile? That all
\ndepends on which way you are looking at it. Reassurances can be
\nfound, that the country is inching toward its goal of creating
\nclean governance, in the progress made by various civic groups
\noutside the government, such as the TII, the Indonesian
\nCorruption Watch and other anticorruption groups and activists.
\nThe next question is, how fast are we are proceeding. Maybe not
\nfast enough, but at least, when public officials are not
\nconcerned about combating corruption, somebody else in society is
\nwilling to fight in their place.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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