Government steps up anticorruption drive

JAKARTA (JP): The government announced on Tuesday it had uncovered more than 3,025 cases of corruption involving Rp 7.21 trillion (US$1.07 billion) in state funds during the 1998/1999 fiscal year ending last March.

"But only Rp 76.32 billion of the funds could be recovered," said Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State Administrative Reforms Hartarto after a meeting with President B.J. Habibie.

Hartarto, who leads the national drive against corruption, nepotism and cronyism, Justice Minister/State Secretary Muladi, acting Attorney General Ismudjoko and Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus reported to Habibie on the progress of the antigraft campaign.

They also briefed the President on the measures that have been and would be taken to prevent and manage corruption in government offices and state companies.

Hartarto said 594 corruption cases were at the prosecution stage, while thousands of others were still under investigation.

Elaborating on strategic efforts to combat corruption, Muladi said Habibie enacted on Tuesday four government regulations and one decree to guide the enforcement of Law No.28/1999 on Good Governance. The law will come into effect on Nov. 20.

"The Presidential decree will set up a commission in charge of keeping the records of and auditing the assets of government officials. The commission which will start working on May 20, 2000," Muladi said.

From this date, all government officials would be required to declare and report their personal assets to the commission and to have their assets audited by the commission, he said.

He said the commission would have at least 20 members: 10 government representatives and 10 community representatives who would be selected by the House of Representatives (DPR).

"Cabinet ministers, governors, judges, public prosecutors, court clerks, managers and treasurers of development projects, and directors of state companies are among the officials obliged to declare their assets," Muladi said.

Other officials in positions highly vulnerable to corruption, as well as Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police officers of specific ranks, would also be obliged to declare their personal assets.

He said these officials should be willing to submit themselves to be audited by the commission during and after their tenure.

"So you see, holding official jobs will be quite demanding."

Muladi said the law also encouraged public participation in the drive against corruption by legally protecting people who reported the conduct of officials.

He said the audit commission would have four working departments: Executive, Legislative, Judicial and State Company Audit Subcommissions.

Muladi said many other legal instruments were being prepared to support the fight against corruption, nepotism and cronyism, which have been blamed as one of the main causes of the country's economic crisis.

"We have submitted to the House a bill on anticorruption, are preparing a bill on state finance auditing by the Supreme Audit Agency and are taking initiatives on the preparation of a bill on money laundering."

Citing the crucial role of an independent judicial system to deal with corruption cases, Muladi said the government had proposed to the House a bill which would make the judicial system fully independent of the executive power.

"We are fully aware that low civil service salaries are one of the main reasons of corruption."

Muladi said in an effort to combat the problem the welfare standards of civil servants, the military and police would continue to be improved.

He said to enable an increase in civil service salaries, the government would step up tax efforts by broadening the tax base and improving general tax administration. (vin)