Jakarta – The latest Indonesian Ombudsman report has found that five ministries could be rife with corruption as indicated by low quality public services and a lack of transparency.
"The lowest ranked ministries all scored badly in public services. They also lacked public transparency, which is a prime indicator of corruption," the Commissioner of the Indonesian Ombudsman Muhammad Khoirul Anwar said earlier this week.
Khoirul added that of 18 ministries surveyed, the Public Works Ministry came last, with the Education and Culture Ministry placed second worst, followed by the Social Affairs Ministry, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry. "These ministries don't have commitment to Public Service Law No. 25/2009," he said.
The report also found that close to half of the 18 ministries lacked procedures for transparency and also failed to provide sufficient information on requirements for joining government tenders.
The Ombdusman report also found that the Public Works Ministry was among the ministries that failed to announce details on price and deadlines on government projects and issuance of permits.
"The absence of time and price details on permits give leeway for illegal levies and manipulation by government officials,"he said.
The Ombudsman report appeared to support a fresh allegation leveled at the ministry, which alleged that ongoing roadwork on Java's northern coastal highway (Pantura) was rife with graft.
"The Pantura roadwork project appears to have no end with an unlimited amount of budget. It involves annual repairs of the same roads and locations, like Karawang and Cirebon in West Java," coordinator of FITRA, Uchok Sky Khadafi told The Jakarta Post.
The Ministry of Public Works, has set aside Rp 1.28 trillion (US$130.56 million) to carry out works on the Pantura road network this year, up from Rp 1.03 trillion in 2012.
"There is not enough oversight and budget audits on the Pantura roadwork project and there are no project evaluations by the House of Representatives despite repeated complaints," he said. " Indications of corruption are very strong in this project."
Khoirul also said that the Ombudsman commission had urged the five ministries with the lowest scores for public services and facilities to improve their performance.
"The Ombudsman can't impose punishment, but as external supervisor we can force the ministries to take action and can make recommendations on penalties to the President," he said. (tam)