Rizky Amelia – A survey by the national antigraft commission has identified the Forestry Ministry as the government institution with the lowest perceived level of integrity.

Iswan Helmi, a deputy for graft prevention at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said on Tuesday that the survey of 15,000 respondents, conducted between June and October this year, graded various state institutions in relation to a baseline score of 6.0, signifying a minimum level of integrity.

"Only one institution had an integrity level of less than six, and that was the Forestry Ministry," he said. He added that the main factor dragging down the ministry's score was the poor perception of its department responsible for issuing mining, plantation and logging permits for forested land.

"This reflects perceptions about the quality of public services, which needs to be improved as part of the effort to eradicate corruption." Iswan said. The survey showed a slight increase in the overall integrity rating of the government as a whole, from 6.31 last year to 6.37 this year.

Other government offices that scored low included the Justice Ministry's passport applications unit and department of corrections, and the police's department of public complaints.

The National Land Agency (BPN) office for issuing title deeds also fared poorly in the survey, as did the Religious Affairs Ministry marriage registration office.

Those considered to have high integrity, with a score of more than 7.0, included the State Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).

The KPK survey covered 498 units and departments at 25 government ministries, institutions and agencies, as well as 60 regional administrations.