Camelia Pasandaran & Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that although progress had been made in the fight against corruption, it was not enough and more aggressive efforts were needed to rid the country of graft.
Speaking at a national conference on corruption, Yudhoyono cited surveys by Transparency International that found Indonesia's Corruption Perception Index had improved to 2.8 in 2010 from just 2 in 2004 – with 0 being the most corrupt and 10 the least. "The 2.8 is an increase and the highest achievement in Indonesian history – but you and I, we're not satisfied," he said.
Indonesia Corruption Watch's deputy coordinator, Adnan Topan Husodo, said the increase, which he called minor, was a dismal result from Yudhoyono's six years in office. "Rising from 2 to 2.8 over the course of six years is not an achievement," he said. "At this rate, when will Indonesia be free from graft?"
In addition to corruption by regional heads, Yudhoyono said graft at institutions managing large budgets for procurements was also still high, mainly because of illegal markups. Another problem, he added, was tax-related corruption.
"We should also prevent and eradicate corruption in law-enforcement institutions," the president said. "If we want to clean a dirty floor, we should make sure that our broom is clean."
Yudhoyono also called on the customs and tax offices, and big state enterprises that contributed significantly to the state coffers, to redouble their corruption-eradication efforts. "I warn you once again, maintain your integrity and restrain yourself from committing corruption," he said.
New efforts are needed to stamp out corruption once and for all, he said, including regulations to limit the opportunities for people to engage in graft. "We should ensure that the regulations and the monitoring systems become more effective," he said. "We need to close all the loopholes that could be abused by people to violate the law."
ICW's Adnan, meanwhile, said the president needed to take radical measures to restructure some government agencies from top to bottom. "So far, bureaucratic reform at public offices has only involved better remuneration, without any improvement to the corruption-prone system," he said.
Adnan said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) also needed be strengthened, and more powers given to government watchdogs like the National Police Commission.
Hasril Hertanto, a legal expert at the University of Indonesia, said Yudhoyono already had all the tools he needed to effectively combat corruption. "Now is the time to establish the proper mechanisms so that civil society and the public at large can make use of the law to monitor the government's spending and performance based on the spirit of transparency and accountability," he said.
Utama Kajo, head of public policy at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said corruption was the biggest problem facing the nation. "With rampant corruption, Indonesia still managed to get 5 percent annual economic growth – imagine if it was free from corruption," he said.
"Employers would gladly raise wages if only their income was not eaten up by illegal fees. We'd gladly make our products more affordable if only competitors didn't bribe their way to securing government projects or permits."