Government affirms commitment to fight corruption<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Top government officials pledged their
\ncommitment on Thursday to eradicate corruption in the country,
\nbut warned that it may take time for the legal system to be able
\nto properly address the problem.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar here on Thursday on business ethics and
\nanticorruption reform organized by PT Harvest International
\nIndonesia, President Abdurrahman Wahid said he was committed to
\ncreating a conducive atmosphere for business and investment,
\nwhich included freedom from corrupt practices.<\/p>\n
\"Please invest here, please utilize our natural resources, but
\nplease bring technology, please bring your networks and please
\nbring your management systems,\" the President remarked.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that time was a key element in the fight to
\nsort out the country's complex problems and bring its corruptors
\nto court.<\/p>\n
\"The fact that up to now there has still been no corruptor
\ntaken to court does not mean that the government isn't working to
\nfight corruption,\" Abdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
\"The attorney general has done a lot of things.\"<\/p>\n
Other than the President, the one-day forum brought together a
\nhost of top level Cabinet and state officials, including People's
\nConsultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, Coordinating Minister
\nfor the Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie, Minister of
\nMines and Energy Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Attorney
\nGeneral Marzuki Darusman.<\/p>\n
One key element in ensuring the eradication of corruption is a
\nstrong legal system.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman also emphasized the
\nimportance of cleaning up his office, but conceded that \"it will
\ntake about five to 10 years for the (justice) system to be able
\nto reasonably function\" due to past corruption.<\/p>\n
\"The system is undergoing a very dramatic change, so we need
\nto give it a bit of time to get it back on track,\" Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
He added that \"the past system was radically corrupt\" and that
\n\"there has to be a specific way to address the problem\".<\/p>\n
Marzuki admitted that, in the past, the Attorney General's
\nOffice had \"ostracized and marginalized\" the people to serve the
\ninterests of the power holders.<\/p>\n
It is only with the political will from the government to
\nensure a corruption-free society that the Attorney General's
\nOffice can serve its true function, and that, Marzuki said, has
\nbeen increasingly evident in the past few months.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said recent political events have allowed his office
\nto press ahead on the Bank Bali scandal and two other major
\ninvestigations, namely a probe into alleged corruption by former
\npresident Soeharto and human rights abuses in the ravaged
\nterritory of East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We have been able to do these three things in recent weeks
\nonly because of various recent political developments within the
\nCabinet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also said the government would set up a special
\nanticorruption body within two years that would report directly
\nto the President.<\/p>\n
\"Gradually all cases of corruption will be handled by this
\nagency,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bribes<\/p>\n
While recognizing the role from within the government to
\ncombat corruption, President Abdurrahman also called on the
\nbusiness community to help ensure that it was not corrupted from
\nthe outside.<\/p>\n
He warned the business community not to repeat the \"dirty
\nbusiness practices\" of the past, and, more importantly, not to
\ndictate to the government using the economic influence they may
\nhave.<\/p>\n
\"The government is controlled by the people. And business
\nshould not dominate the government,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono conceded
\nthe image of his ministry was badly tarnished by the practice of
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) during the New Order
\nera.<\/p>\n
He said the ministry was now preparing three bills to address
\nthese concerns, specifically an electricity bill that would
\naffect PLN, an oil and gas bill that would affect Pertamina and a
\ngeneral mining bill.<\/p>\n
The general mining bill, especially, aims to ensure good
\nmining practices, which protect the environment and place a
\ngreater focus on the development of the society in the area
\nsurrounding the mine.<\/p>\n
\"The bills aim to eliminate monopolies, and introduce a much
\nhigher degree of competition,\" the minister remarked.<\/p>\n
Minister of Finance Bambang Sudibyo pointed out the necessity
\nof empowering Cabinet members in combating corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We in the ministerial level must have legal means to conduct
\nfair and thorough investigations of any KKN.\" (rid\/byg\/prb)<\/p>",
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