RI still on list of most corrupt<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the country's efforts to combat corruption, Indonesia
\nremains one of the world's corrupt nations according to the
\nlatest annual report from the Berlin-based Transparency
\nInternational (TI).<\/p>\n
TI Indonesia announced on Tuesday that the country was among
\nthe six most corrupt nations, along with Azerbaijan, Cameroon,
\nEthiopia, Iraq, Liberia and Uzbekistan, out of 159 countries
\nsurveyed.<\/p>\n
Based on the perceptions of business leaders, academics,
\nantigraft activists and risk analysts across Indonesia, the
\ncountry's score was only 2.2 out of 10, with 10 being the least
\ncorrupt nation.<\/p>\n
This represents a slight improvement on last year's score of
\n2.0.<\/p>\n
\"However, the improvement was due to the fact that other
\ncountries managed to improve their performances. There has also
\nbeen an increase in the number of countries surveyed, from 146
\nlast year to 159 this year,\" said TI Indonesia executive and
\nhuman rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis.<\/p>\n
Among Southeast Asian nations, Indonesia is only better than
\nMyanmar (1.8). Even the scores of countries like Cambodia,
\nVietnam and Laos are higher, with 2.3, 2.6 and 3.3 respectively.<\/p>\n
Singapore is flying high at 9.4, making it the fifth least
\ncorrupt country, while Malaysia ranks 39th with a score of 5.1.<\/p>\n
Based on 13 surveys carried out across the country,
\nIndonesia's score since 1999 has ranged between 1.7 and 2.2,
\nwhich means that the so-called reform era has failed to do much
\nto eradicate corruption in the country.<\/p>\n
Despite the work of the Corruption Eradication Commission
\n(KPK), corruption is still rampant, even within the judicial
\nsystem, with the most recent case involving the alleged bribery
\nof Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan and other justices of
\nthe country's highest court.<\/p>\n
Todung urged Bagir to temporarily step aside until the case
\nwas investigated to avoid any obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n
\"If we manage to eliminate the 'judicial mafia', there would
\nat least be some hope of us improving on our corruption
\nperception index score. At least between 2.5 and 3.0 next year,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Economist Faisal Basri said that if the country wanted to
\nimprove its TI corruption index score, then it should start by
\nfocusing on straightening out the sort of corrupt business
\npractices that had been hampering foreign investment.<\/p>\n
\"This index is part of an effort to ease business between
\ncountries. Therefore, we should create a more investor-friendly
\natmosphere. The business climate must be overhauled,\" Faisal told
\nthe discussion following TI Indonesia's announcement.<\/p>\n
According to The World Economic Forum (WEF), Indonesia is not
\na good country to do business in as even to obtain a business
\npermit takes 151 days, while illegal fees, bribery and corruption
\nare all rampant.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Faisal said, it would take hard work to clean up
\nareas related to business, permits and the legal system.<\/p>\n
However, the country needed to move beyond creating a good
\natmosphere for foreign investors.<\/p>\n
\"Although that would be beneficial for many people. But we
\nhave to design a corruption eradication strategy that favors the
\nIndonesian population as a whole, to make the people more
\nprosperous.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-still-on-list-of-most-corrupt-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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