Government bank scams

Government bank scams

Just like so many other citizens, I was neither quite
concerned nor surprised upon learning of the lending fraud cases
at BNI and BRI, both state-owned banks (which means that they are
also owned by the Indonesian people), inflicting upon the state
staggering losses totaling respectively Rp 1.7 trillion and Rp
294 billion.

Involving insiders, these scams have been committed in a very
sly, almost professional manner. These insiders surely would have
been people that the government trusted to run the banks so that
the banks could make legitimate profits. The government is
supposed to later allocate the profit for the promotion of the
general welfare of the Indonesian people and also for the
salaries of the banks' employees.

Reports about these fraud cases did not come as a surprise to
me, as many similar scandals had been committed earlier. I have
often wondered why it seems difficult for the government to
monitor its banks and their employees. With proper monitoring and
development, banks can expand in a healthy way. Bank employees
with good achievement should be rewarded and promoted while
dishonest ones should be punished.

SUGENG HARTONO
Jakarta