TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno spoke about efforts to prevent gratifications in his ministry. He realized that in the tourism sector there was usually a tip or a gratuity given to tour guides or industry players.

Sandiaga highlighted the issue during an event at his ministry building in Jakarta, Monday, February 15, which was held in collaboration with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

“I follow-up on this issue as we hope that the Tourism Ministry is able to present a government that is clean, with integrity and free of corruption,” said the minister in a written statement.

Due to the tipping culture in the tourism sector, Sandiaga hoped related parties could report it. The ministry, he added, had prepared guidelines on this matter, one of which was through the issuance of a decree on the Gratification Control Unit (UPG), which would operate in the ministry.

Besides tourism industry players, Sandiaga Uno admitted that he had received gratuities, claiming it was difficult to reject them as giving and receiving gifts were part of the country’s local wisdom. He thus accepted the gratifications and then immediately reported them. “But we report them directly to UPG and convey them to the KPK,” he said.

Read: Sandiaga Uno Backs Tourist Site Operators to Use GeNose C19

FAJAR PEBRIANTO