Ministries get KPK whistle-blower system

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 08/26/2010 9:52 AM

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) launched Wednesday a whistle-blower system allowing civil servants to report gratuities to their institutions and the KPK.

Only in its initial phase, the software was installed at seven ministries — health, public works, home, forestry, national education, agriculture and finance — before it will be introduced in other government institutions.

“These institutions are prone to receiving gratuities, so we need more structured prevention efforts,” KPK deputy chairman Haryono Umar told a press conference after the launch.

“Civil servants can file reports to their respective ministry’s inspectorate generals through the system, which is linked to the KPK. The commission along with the inspectorate generals will then further process reports of gratuities received by civil servants,” he said.

Under the system, he added, civil servants filing reports would remain anonymous.

“The system also guarantees that no filed reports would defame anyone because those filing reports must answer certain questions,” he said.

According to Haryono, so far only a few civil servants have filed reports to the antigraft body relating to gratuities they had received.

“The definition of gratuities is broad. However, previous reports filed [by civil servants] usually centered on gifts or money received at wedding ceremonies,” he said.

Haryono added the gratuities might also include any presents, tickets, allowances and souvenirs.

“Civil servants must report the gratuity received within 30 days. Otherwise, these [gratuities] can be categorized as bribes,” he said.

Under Article 12 of the 1999 Corruption Law, civil servants are forbidden from receiving things other than their salaries and allowances.

The software, which will cost ¤30,000 (US$38,000) in its first year of operation, is supported by the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The KPK also launched two other programs: the gratuities control program and the anticorruption clearing house. Both are part of its corruption prevention efforts.

Abdul Hakim from the Forestry Ministry said his colleagues had previously found it troublesome to run a scheme to return gratuities.

“[Officials] were reluctant to report and hand over the gratuities to the KPK,” he said.

Abdul said civil servants usually felt receiving something other than their salaries or allowances was actually legal.

“We thought it was okay because [the gratuities] had nothing to do with our status. But it does,” he said, citing presents received by an auditor as an example.

“Our biggest task will be to raise awareness over this,” he said.

Abdul was confident an integrated approach — such as that being implemented by the KPK and the ministries — would be effective in the fight against rampant corruption in government institutions. (lnd)

Related Article:

Press Falls Short in Corruption Coverage, Experts Say