Collusion and bureaucracy

Economic guru Prof. Soemitro Djojohadikusumo has spoken out sharply against the practice of collusion between government officials and conglomerates. Our senior economist admits that collusion occurs everywhere, even in industrially advanced countries. This, however, is no excuse for tolerating the practice.

This kind of statement is actually nothing new. But complaints against the practice have increased lately since a number of large-scale economic crimes emerged into the public view and since it became known that they occurred due to collusion between officials and businessmen. The Bapindo case is a prime example.

Clearly, the root of the problem is bureaucratic weakness. For certain, collusion takes place as a result of relationships between the bureaucracy and the business world that are two close. This would not be a problem if those close relationships existed on a purely professional plane. But more often than not they occur in the context of collusion.

It will be clear that such overly close relationships constitute a form of conditioning that has developed as a result of the excessively large role which the bureaucracy plays. The bureaucracy decides when certain facilities should be given or withheld. As a consequence, groups for approaching the bureaucrats by a variety of means have formed.

The only way to curtail this practice is to start from above. The reason is simple: collusion is an infraction involving government officials. The ones who can prevent collusion or impose sanctions are in superior positions. This means that a genuine political will is needed.

At the same time the public must be given the freedom to control the bureaucracy. In this respect the roles of the press, the House of Representatives and the public at large are of decisive importance.

The question is, do we dare to do it?

-- Republika, Jakarta