Sutiyoso urges reform team to speed up
Sutiyoso urges reform team to speed up
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday the city
administration's reform team was slow to investigate the 1,941
malfeasance cases uncovered since the 1994/1995 fiscal year
because team members were busy with their everyday jobs.
Sutiyoso said officials on the reform team, which was
established by the governor in June 1998 to rid the
administration of corruption, collusion and nepotism, could not
concentrate fully on investigating the malfeasance cases.
"I think all of you know the people in charge of the reform
team are officials in key positions, so they need a long time to
process the cases."
However, the governor vowed to continue encouraging the team
to speed up the investigations. "I promise that anybody who is
found guilty will be punished."
Data from the administration exposed 1,941 malfeasance cases
(not 1,942 as was reported on this page on Monday) in the
administration between 1994 and December 1998.
From this figure, 348 cases dealt with misuse of power, 184
with corruption, 185 with land and housing affairs, 299 with the
environment, 480 with public services, 21 with bureaucracy, 140
with law affairs, 177 with personnel affairs and 107 with
national vigilance.
Only 486 cases, or 25 percent of the total cases, have been
investigated. The reform team, which was set up under a
gubernatorial decree to meet the public's demand for a purge of
the bureaucracy, greater transparency and improved public
services, did not publish its findings in the 486 cases.
The team is led by Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs
Abdul Kahfi. Its work focuses on four major issues -- public
services, the budget, expenditure, and law and organization.
The team has been criticized for its lack of achievement
because it has never announced the findings of its investigations
or taken steps toward bringing corrupt officials to account for
their offenses.
City councilors said on Sunday the small percentage of cases
investigated showed the administration was halfheartedly pursuing
the cases.
Saud Rahman, a member of the United Development Party's (PPP)
faction in the council, said on Monday because of the lack of
progress, the composition of the reform team should be changed,
or "just dissolve the team if its members can't do their jobs".
"If the governor says that the team members are too busy, why
did the administration refuse our past proposals to establish a
similar team comprising representatives of the PPP faction in the
council?" (ind)