State audit commission fails to reach target

State audit commission fails to reach target

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The State Officials' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) failed to
reach its target of scrutinizing the finances of at least 1,500
officials due in part to a distinct lack of enthusiasm from its
members and staff members during the current year-end
festivities.

The 25-strong commission had earlier planned to complete the
examinations of at least 1,500 public officials by the end of
this year.

Commission chairman Jusuf Syakir admitted that most of the
commission members and the secretariat-general's staff members
have not been around this week due to the holidays, and probably
will not start working again in earnest until after the New Year.

"I could not have predicted this situation. I can do nothing
but tolerate it," Jusuf told The Jakarta Post by phone on
Saturday.

This seemingly relaxed attitude contrasts greatly from the
attitude in 2000 when the commission was still fairly new. At
that time, the commission vowed to audit the officials' wealth
thoroughly, despite problems or opposition.

The commission was established in 1999 as part of the
government's efforts to combat corruption, and is accountable
only to the president.

The commission is required to present its accountability
report of its examination results for the period of August
through December 2001, to the president in early January.

Data released by the commission shows that only some 5,000 of
the 30,000 registry forms which were handed over to state
officials across the country have been completed and returned.

Each of the four sub-commissions has to process the 5,000
documents through a series of assessment stages. Firstly, they
must announce the wealth report to the public, then re-assess
them and finally, must carry out factual checks in the field.

The sub-commissions are also required to make an analysis
report and convey that report to a plenary meeting of the
commission. "I guess we can finish it by the end of December,"
Jusuf said.

The four sub-commissions are assigned to different branches of
government and work separately on the wealth of officials from
the legislative, judicial, executive and state enterprises,
respectively.

The commission has been criticized as a "toothless tiger" by
many anticorruption groups. Last month, while apparently seeking
more teeth and tougher punishment for those who fail to disclose,
or lie about, the source of their wealth, they had a meeting with
the president.

During the meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri last
month, Jusuf revealed that three Cabinet-level ministers had
failed to return their wealth reports to the commission.

But, Jusuf confirmed on Saturday that two of them, Minister of
Religious Affairs Said Agiel Munawar and State Minister of the
Acceleration of Development in Eastern Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo
had recently turned in their forms.

"I have yet to receive a wealth report from the foreign
minister," he added.