TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amid the seemingly endless revelations on corruption cases, it's a relief to read that Indonesia’s corruption perception index (CPI), just released by Transparency International, has gone up ever so slightly: from 88 in 2015 to 90 in 2016 among 176 countries rated.
Indonesia is assessed by global watchdogs to be the fourth least corrupt among the ASEAN countries, below Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia, but number 16 among countries of the G20 community. Should we be happy that we are not at the bottom of the list? No way can Indonesia afford to be complaisant about corruption, especially when it involves state-owned companies.
Speaking at the launch of the Executive Leadership Program, President Jokowi warned executives of state-owned companies (SOE) in attendance, "I don't want SOEs to be caught in trouble anymore. It’s possible to make a mistake today, but to be caught five years from now…," in a snide reference to the recent indictment of the former CEO of Garuda Airways, the national flagship. Indeed, it will continue to be an uphill battle.
YULI ISMARTONO