Stamping out nepotism

Stamping out nepotism

The Inspector General of the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Soedarjat Nataatmadja, has issued a sort of memo, the kind of
which probably no one else in any government agency has ever
written. The memo, which is directed to all chiefs of first- and
second-rank administrative areas (provinces and regencies)
contains a warning for them to avoid the practice of nepotism in
their respective areas.

The memo came as a direct consequence of the findings of the
State Audit Board (BPKP) disseminated last month in which it was
noted that up to the second quarter of fiscal year 1994/95 the
leakage of state funds had increased by 906 percent. According to
the head of the State Audit Board, of the seven government
institutions where the leaks were regarded to be the biggest, the
Ministry of Home affairs topped the list.

It appears that the Home Ministry's Inspector General
immediately drew the conclusion that one of the main reasons, if
not the single reason, that led to this record leakage was the
rampant occurrence of nepotistic practices among officials under
the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.

While we must note that to concentrate our attention on
nepotism alone might blur our vision towards the existence of
other no less important factors, we also proclaim our
satisfaction because the problem was bared by an agency which is
in charge of the ministry's internal control.

The fact that the Inspector General of the Home Ministry has
found it necessary to issue such a potentially controversial memo
regarding the issue is a reflection of the massiveness of the
presence of nepotistic practices among the bureaucracy under its
supervision, although specific data is not available.

-- Republika, Jakarta