Home Affairs Minister Says Bureaucratic Incompetence Fuels Regional Head Corruption
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian has revealed that not all regional heads understand bureaucratic governance and government administration. This disparity in capacity is considered one of the vulnerabilities that triggers corruption cases at the regional level.
Tito explained that the backgrounds of regional heads vary because they are directly elected by the people, making it difficult to standardise their administrative capabilities. Some leaders are very familiar with the ins and outs of the bureaucracy, but many are inexperienced and therefore hand over full control to structural officials.
“Our regional heads come from diverse backgrounds because they are elected by the people. Some understand bureaucracy, others do not understand administration at all and rely entirely on their bureaucratic officials,” Tito said at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (16/7).
The former National Police Chief added that the current political recruitment system does not guarantee a standard of integrity or administrative capacity comparable to the command structure in the police or military. This means the state cannot directly dismiss someone if they are found to be administratively incompetent.
As a mitigation measure, the Ministry of Home Affairs routinely conducts technical training and national insight retreats involving the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Police. The government is also maximising digital instruments such as the Regional Government Information System (SIPD) and the Monitoring Centre for Prevention (MCP) programme to oversee the drafting of regional budgets.
Despite tighter supervision, Tito acknowledged that systemic gaps remain, particularly concerning the high cost of political campaigning. According to him, a regional head’s official income is often insufficient to cover the large capital outlay required during the candidacy process.
“We also know that their recruitment costs are not cheap. Becoming a regional head is not free. This is one of the root problems. They spend money, but their take-home pay might not be enough to cover it,” Tito concluded.