Governance reform key to fighting corruption: ADB<\/p>\n
Endy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Amid growing public discontent over the lack of progress in
\npunishing those involved in corruption, a new study says that
\nbecause corruption is largely systemic, or institutionalized, the
\nkey to solving the problem is to reform the system and improve
\ngovernance.<\/p>\n
While the report by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank
\n(ADB) does not discuss the effectiveness of law enforcement as
\nthe weapon of choice by successive governments since 1998 in
\nfighting corruption, it says law enforcement agencies and the
\njudiciary are among the state institutions most prone to
\ncorruption, and thus must be the first to be reformed.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, according to the Country Governance Assessment
\nReport due to be released on Friday, has an unfinished and
\nsomewhat daunting reform agenda.<\/p>\n
The report underlines the need to reform the regulatory
\nsystem, the management of public finances, the civil service, the
\npolice, the Attorney General's Office and the judiciary.<\/p>\n
"The widespread perception of systemic corruption afflicting
\npublic services is another reason for continuing and accelerating
\nreforms," it says.<\/p>\n
The grim implication of the report, while not stated, is
\nclear: no amount of law enforcement will be sufficient to stop
\ncorruption as long as the system itself allows or even encourages
\ncorruption in the various state institutions.<\/p>\n
The report's conclusion is also clear: completely overhaul the
\ncivil service and reform the police, the Attorney General's
\nOffice and the judiciary.<\/p>\n
Almost seven years since the downfall of the corrupt Soeharto
\nregime, Indonesia seems nowhere near to eradicating corruption.
\nThere is even the growing feeling that corruption has become even
\nmore widespread than before, in spite of announced wars against
\ncorruption by four successive presidents since 1998.<\/p>\n
This feeling is dangerous because it could lead to public
\napathy toward the next official declaration of yet another war on
\ncorruption. While many people have been investigated and tried in
\ncourt for corruption, convictions have been few and far between.
\nImpunity remains the rule rather than the exception.<\/p>\n
HS Dillon, executive director of Partnership Governance Reform
\nin Indonesia, gave his personal endorsement of the ADB report,
\nwhich he described as being "close to our heart".<\/p>\n
"It is in line with our motto of 'pressure from without,
\ncapacity from within,'" he said during a discussion at Kompas
\ndaily newspaper earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The ADB report says Indonesia "is still far from having a
\nfully developed democracy with an administration and judiciary
\nruled by law, and with a market economy based on open and fair
\ncompetition".<\/p>\n
"Indonesia's governance system previously operated under a
\nregime in which state institutions neglected good governance and
\nthe rule of law, where the state managed essential parts of the
\ncorporate sector and where corruption was allowed to rule over
\ncommon interests."<\/p>\n
The 125-page report looks at specific governance sectors where
\nreform is mandated, including legislation, the regulatory
\nframework and policy making process, the management of state
\nfinances, the civil service and the implications of
\ndecentralization, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the
\ncourts.<\/p>\n
The report reserves its harshest words for the civil service,
\nthe National Police and the judiciary for their systemic
\ncorruption. It says that civil service management practices
\n"nurture and multiply corruption", that corruption is "widespread
\nand institutionalized" in the police force, and that there is
\n"institutionalized and widespread corruption in the judiciary".<\/p>\n
If reforming these institution seems like a gigantic task, at
\nleast Indonesia is heading in the right direction, Staffan
\nSynnerstrom of the ADB and one of the authors of the study said
\nduring the discussion at Kompas.<\/p>\n
Synnerstrom, who helped in governance reforms for Eastern
\nEuropean countries in the 1990s, said it took 15 years for Poland
\nand many other countries in the region to reform their civil
\nservice and their public finance management.<\/p>\n
"It is a long process," he said.<\/p>\n
The ADB report, alluding to the experiences of other countries
\nin transition, says that such "transformation needs time, strong
\ncommitment, persistent efforts and determined leadership."<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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