KPK: Boosting Investment by Handling Corruption in Private Sector

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) legal bureau suggested that entrepreneurs would have no reason to worry about KPK’s plan to introduce an anti-corruption policy that would affect the private sector.

Head of KPK legal bureau Setiadi said that entrepreneurs should openly welcome the agency’s plan since he claims that it would attract a healthy amount of investments.

“There would be a legal certainty when the regulations are clearly formed. Investors would not think twice to make investments,” said Setiadi on Wednesday, February 21.

According to the agency’s records, KPK handled numerous corruption cases in the private sector. There were 183 people from the private sector throughout 2004-2017 who were arrested by the agency for their involvement in corruption with legislative and executive institutions.

Despite the number of cases KPK handled, there are still a reasonable amount of people that voiced their objection and argued that KPK has no authority to crack down corruption in the private sector.

Setiadi responded by stating that it is mentioned in the United Nations convention against corruption (UNCAC) that Indonesia ratified in 2006.

“And why hasn’t the House of Representatives (DPR) formed a Law to correspond to that. It should be DPR’s domain,” Setiadi questioned.

Arguments that arose from the Deputy Chairman of Jakarta’s Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association Nurzaman argued that the business world cannot be separated from fee practices to launch one’s business activity. However, Setiadi said that KPK would provide a clear regulation that determines whether certain fees would be considered as gratification or not.

DEWI NURITA