UK Ambassador Praises Corruption Eradication Efforts in Indonesia

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - British Ambassador to Indonesia Moazzam Malik praised the efforts of corruption eradication in Indonesia. He said Indonesia has successfully met 17 of the 19 commitments ratified in the 2016 Anticorruption Summits in London.

"I am confident that Indonesia will continue to improve its performance on the commitment to eradicate corruption," Malik said at the British Embassy on Wednesday, May 2.

Moazzam Malik said Indonesia has met a number of commitments; among others, established The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) and created goods and service procurement system.

In particular, the British Ambassador appreciated the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 13 of 2018 on the implementation of the principle of recognizing beneficial ownership from corporations. He deemed it to be important to create transparency of the private sector.

Malik said Britain is one of the few countries that has given the public access to beneficial ownership. The move, he said, made the public able to help supervise the private sector.

According to the UK Ambassador, the involvement of the public in eradicating corruption is important. The rich and powerful people, he said, usually dislike the anti-corruption institution such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for meddling in their interests.

He said by involving the community, the support for the KPK will be more massive. That way, Moazzam Malik went on, Indonesia will be able to improve its corruption perception index.

"The KPK and the mass media must be able to increase the people's involvement in monitoring corruption," he said.

M ROSSENO AJI