Another latent danger

Talk of the anti-corruption drive has died down recently. And while Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja seems sincere in his desire to clean up the city bureaucracy, reality has yet to meet theoretical intention.

Can public service continue functioning as corruption flourishes in the shadows? The answer is still in the distance. Only days ago Surjadi complained again of the poor condition of the city's public service offices. His statement on Tuesday blaming corrupt employees for the administration's worsening public services implies the serious need for outside help.

His city is not only the seat of the central government but also the country's capital, where rich and corrupt officials feel free to flaunt their wealth in the faces of a public inured to the life of the privileged.

Illicit dealings in the public administration have left the public on very unsure ground. Most have no idea of where to register a complaint when they are being victimized by officials in the city administration's licensing business, to cite but one example. The many branches of the supervisory agencies have atrophied, impeding progress and leaving the system open to abuse.

Corruption has long affected the local administrations in many developing countries, where graft often becomes a part of national culture. Some, however, are fighting this breach of public trust. Malaysia has successfully kept its administration clean thanks to the supremacy of law and the existence of "social censorship", which allows citizens to report suspicious dealings. Other countries have seen corruption buried together with corrupt regimes.

Many allege that illegal practices are the natural consequence of underpaid civil servants. Unfortunately, there is little truth to the statement. Almost three decades ago, the government embarked on an operation to raise the salaries of excise and duty employees. After increasing their salaries nine times, the civil servants were found to be no less corrupt than before.

Others blame consumerism for worsening public morale. This theory might be closer to reality. Two decades have passed since we have seen an anti-graft campaign, which is likely due to a lack of political will on the part of the authorities who do not see graft as a national threat. The situation will continue to deteriorate unless a solid checks and balances system is put in place.

Despite this pessimistic reality, we still hope that the situation can be improved with the rise of a middle class. Many of its members come from the business community, which will hopefully demand the administration's sincerity if it wants them to be sincere tax payers.

The IMF and the World Bank can help us improve the situation by intensifying their control of efficiency in the countries which receive their aid.

Before this hope can become a reality, however, Governor Surjadi can do something to set his Jakarta house in order. If we are to take his statement seriously, he should begin with his own officials, whose expensive cars fill the mayoralty's parking lots long before the people arrive in need of their services. Despite salaries that range between Rp 200,000 and Rp 350,000 (US$100 and $180) a month, many still live in the comfort of luxurious homes.

Perhaps this is the latent danger threatening national stability.