TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati expressed her irritation at many parties deliberately committing corruption in her ministry. She admitted that signs of the crime are still recognizable in several regional offices, such as tax offices and customs and excise offices.

“Corruption still exists in several offices. Officers up to head office become mafias,” said the minister during her welcoming speech at an event of the International Anti-Corruption Day at Tax Directorate-General HQ, Tuesday, December 3.

However, Sri stopped short of detailing the number of head offices allegedly carrying out the violation and the findings on the potential state loss.

According to the former managing director of the World Bank, the existing Government Regulation No. 53/2019 on the civil servant discipline indeed stipulated sanction for workers linked to graft case. But she demanded more severe punishment, instead of mere dismissal.

The minister said that her institution's image was tarnished due to corruption practices. Albeit only a few people made the sin, thousands of employees in the ministry were also affected.

Nevertheless, Sri Mulyani did not deny that many state apparatuses in the Finance Ministry had an impressive achievement, and so she urged the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform to issue a revision of Law No. 53/2019 in which noting tokens of appreciation for notable officials as one of the efforts to curb corruption practice.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA