Australian investors urged to help fight bribery, corruption
Australian investors urged to help fight bribery, corruption
Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Benoa, Bali
While Indonesia was listed this year by Transparency
International as the sixth most corrupt country in the world,
efforts to fight against corruption here are heading in the right
direction.
Emmy Hafild, secretary-general of Transparency International
Indonesia, noted at the Indonesian Australian Business Conference
on Wednesday that officials, businessmen and lawmakers who have
been implicated in corruption cases are now more likely to be
taken to court.
"Indeed, Indonesia still has a long way to go to eliminate
corruption. It is really a mammoth task, but corruption charges
against the once 'untouchable individuals' have shown positive
signs in our fight against such practices," she said.
During Soeharto's New Order regime, state officials or
powerful individuals could not be taken to court while the
investment climate was dominated by Soeharto's family and
cronies.
Under the decentralization scheme, businesspeople and
investors now have to pay "extra fees" to numerous regional
administration officials, from governors to subdistrict heads.
"Indonesia can't work alone to fight corruption. It has been a
vicious circle. Australian investors also have to help us. It's
part of your corporate social responsibility in helping us create
good governance," she said.
Data from Transparency International Indonesia shows that
Australian businesses are the least willing to pay bribes, while
Indonesian companies are the most willing to pay bribes.
Australia, the ninth least corrupt country in the world
according to Transparency International, has signed the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s
Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions.
Indonesia has an Anticorruption Law and Antitrust Law but
bribery to advance business transactions remains rampant.
Australian businesses through the Indonesian Australian
Business Council (IABC) are expected to develop a joint strategy
to counter bribery.
"You can bring your corporate cultures into the Indonesian
business community and share your experiences with us. You can
also ban Indonesian embezzlers, currently hanging around in
Australia, from entering your country," Emmy said.
Another speaker, HS Dillon, said corporate social
responsibility (CSR) should not merely be an optional "add-on" to
business core activities but should be the philosophy underlying
the way in which business is conducted.
"Currently, CSR is often recognized as a community development
program focusing more on charity programs such as building roads,
supporting health programs and building water sanitation with
communities as mere recipients."
Noke Kiroyan, president of the IABC, said CSR until recently
was used as a synonym for corporate philanthropy.
In Indonesia, CSR has often been mistakenly regarded as a
synonym for community programs, which was misleading, he said.
"CSR is the commitment of a business to contribute to
sustainable economic development, working with employees and
their representatives, their families, the local community and
society at large to improve quality of life, in ways that are
good both for business and for development.
"Fighting corruption is also part of a business's obligation.
We have to help every party involved in the fight against
corruption," he said.