TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Agus Rahardjo said that a pharmaceutical company allegedly transferred funds totaling Rp 600 billion (US$46.1 million) to doctors, causing medicine prices to soar.
"We found that a pharmaceutical factory in Palembang transferred Rp 600 billion to doctors, based on a report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK)," Agus said when opening the 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit (ACS) at the Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, October 25, 2016.
Agus added that the money was provided so that doctors would prescribe certain medicines for patients. Agus said that the practice caused 40 percent of healthcare budget had been spent on medicines.
"In other countries, only 15 percent were spent on medicines," Agus explained.
The ACS was held by the Gajah Mada Unversity, in collaboration with the KPK and the UGM’s Corruption Study Center (PUKAT). About 1,000 participants attended the event, including deans of law faculty from state and private universities across the country, representatives of government institutions, academicians, and anti-corruption activists.
The event was opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Attending the opening ceremony were Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, KPK chief Agus Rahardjo, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhamad Nasir, and UGM rector Dwikorita Karnawati.
AMIRULLAH
