Jakarta – Millions of Indonesia's poorest are among the worst hit by corruption since they feel powerless to stand up to greedy local officials and policemen, according to a high-level study.
"The poor are more vulnerable to requests for bribes because they are not assertive enough to inquire about official prices and regulations let alone report [offences]," says a preliminary report on the study, obtained by AFP this week.
The survey of 1,250 households in Jakarta, the central Java city of Yogyakarta and Makassar in South Sulawesi province was conducted by the Partnership for Governance Reform Indonesia, which is part of the United Nations Development Program, in conjunction with the World Bank.
It cites the state-run electricity company PLN, the police and schools as particularly corrupt institutions. Bardiyo, a Yogyakarta resident, had to pay 50,000 rupiah (5.50 dollars) more than the official tariff to have electricity installed at his house. Otherwise he would have had to wait for months.
Schools often ask parents to pay extra charges for uniforms, textbooks and building maintenance. Police often demand money for the release of petty criminals.
A construction worker in Jakarta, who was caught stealing a bicycle, was asked to pay 200,000 rupiah for his release. A mother, Maemunah, was forced to pay interest on her son's school registration fee because she paid by instalments.
Social safety net programs are also prone to corruption. A pedicab driver, Kusnan, said he often received less than he should but did not complain to officials in charge of the disbursement for fear of a comeback. "I'm worried that if I question it I would no longer get the assistance," Kusnan said.
Even garbage collections in some districts attract extra "charges".
In crowded slums in East Jakarta, each household must pay two fees – one to the local community units that manage the garbage disposal and another to the Office of Sanitation. There is no clear reason for the dual charges.
The report notes that most ordinary people are prepared to pay bribes to get things done, whether applying for an identity card or settling a case with police. In one example, several motorcyclists interviewed in Yogyakarta said they chose to pay bribes to police of between 15,000 and 20,000 rupiah for traffic offences rather than go to court.
Migrants applying for a Jakarta identity card have to pay between 100,000 rupiah and 150,000 rupiah to the neighborhood chief for their application to be processed.
The report says the poor see the effects of corruption as mainly negative but notes that some of them "appreciate the practical benefit of speeding things up or circumventing existing laws." It added that "in daily life acceptance is the common response."
Petty corruption by low-level officials stems from governance problems at higher levels. the report says. "These problems trickle down and the burden is borne by the last in line."
The report calls for joint efforts between local non-government organisations, the media and communities to start pilot programmes to reduce graft at grassroots level. It notes that the 1998 political and economic crisis "dramatically reversed Indonesia's success in poverty reduction.
"Within a few months, millions of people were thrown into extreme poverty. Today, more than one in two households are vulnerable to poverty, i.e. face a 50 percent risk of falling into poverty over a three year horizon."
The report says the political system was "increasingly eroded by "KKN" (corruption, collusion and nepotism) during the 32-year rule of former dictator Suharto. "While corruption is known to have detrimental effects on economic and social development it hurts the poor disproportionately," it adds.
"In Indonesia, among others, acquiring permits, access to government services, and identification cards are opportunities for corruption, bending the rule of law and putting an extra financial burden on the poor."