Aceh rehab agency vows no room for corruption

Aceh rehab agency vows no room for corruption

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the newly appointed chief of the Aceh
rehabilitation and reconstruction executing body, visited the
stricken province for the first time on Tuesday as public concern
over potential abuse of the massive funds in the project was
riding high.

In order to boost public confidence, Kuntoro promised during
the visit that corruption would not be tolerated. Perpetrators
would be severely punished in accordance with law, he said. Stern
measures were needed to ensure that funds would not be embezzled
by corrupt officials. Any corruption whatsoever could lead to a
massive withdrawal of foreign funds that are crucial in helping
rebuild tsunami-affected Aceh, said Kuntoro.

"Don't embezzle any funds injected into the projects, as there
is too much at stake. If foreign donors hear that corruption is
occurring in the projects, they will stop and withdraw funds
crucial to help rebuild Aceh," said Kuntoro, a former minister of
mines and energy who is considered to have a clean record.

Public concern over possible graft is riding high as the
country's bureaucracy is notoriously corrupt. Given the massive
amount of money (Rp 46.1 trillion) earmarked for the projects,
the prospect of corrupt practices occurring sometime in the
future is wide open. Not to mention that the rehabilitation and
reconstruction projects will cover a wide range of activities
that are prone to corruption, such as procurement and
construction. It will be daunting task for Kuntoro to prevent
corrupt officials from sticking their fingers into such a large
pile of cash.

In order to prevent corruption, Kuntoro earlier said that he
would work together with domestic and foreign partners to create
a system that ensures that the money earmarked for projects is
spent properly.

Corruption within his agency is not the only difficult issue
that Kuntoro will have to handle during his four-year tenure. The
former minister is expected to face hard pressure exerted by
especially well-connected people over reconstruction works, as
the agency he is leading has the authority to award contracts to
private parties. He will also face a considerable challenge from
certain tsunami survivors, who are insisting that they be allowed
to rebuild in coastal areas prone to tsunamis, even though the
blueprint on Aceh reconstruction and rehabilitation forbids this.
Aware that public acceptance is crucial to make his job a
success, Kuntoro said that his first visit was aimed at finding
out the true aspirations of the people of Aceh.

According to Kuntoro, besides the corruption issue, another
crucial issue that had to be given priority was economic
rehabilitation. "My first priority is to get the wheels of the
economy rolling again in Aceh," said Kuntoro before a crowd of
people in front of a mosque in Ulee Lheu area, Banda Aceh.

Besides visiting the mosque, Kuntoro, who was appointed as
chief of Aceh reconstruction and rehabilitation executing body on
Saturday, also visited other places in the Aceh capital, such as
the displaced persons camp in Mata Ie. He also opened a workshop
being conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Anjung Mon
Mata, Banda Aceh.

In carrying out his job, Kuntoro will be assisted by a deputy
chairman, Aceh acting governor Azwar Abu Bakar, along with nine
other members. The agency that Kuntoro heads will be supported by
a supervisory division and an advisory division.