Since 2004, The KPK Has Ensnared 334 Businessmen Involved In Corruption

The KPK named 334 business actors who were perpetrators of corruption crimes from 2004 to March 31, 2021. (5/11) (Daniel)

AMBON - Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, revealed that as many as 334 business actors were entangled in corruption cases handled by his party. This is based on data on case handling at the KPK.

"There are at least 334 business actors who are perpetrators of criminal acts of corruption based on data from the handling of KPK cases from 2004 to March 31, 2021," said Ghufron in Ambon, as reported by Antara, Friday, November 5.

Ghufron's statement was delivered at the synergy activity in eradicating corruption in the Maluku Province in order to build a conducive and corruption-free business climate.

From this data, said Ghufron, the mode most handled is bribery and procurement of goods and services (PBJ).

In addition to involving state officials, it also involves business actors as parties who provide bribes or become providers of goods and services for the government.

"The motives vary, ranging from remuneration for the work or services that have been provided to the goal of maintaining business relationships in the long term," explained Ghufron.

This raises common concerns because corrupt practices in the business world will cause a multiflier effect.

"This condition results in project inefficiency, poor quality, and prices for goods/services that are far above the actual price," he said.

In coordination with business actors, the KPK noted a number of issues that must be addressed together, including those related to transparency and accountability in the process of procurement of goods and services, ease of licensing, and local government support in involving local business actors in government programs.

On the other hand, said Ghufron, business actors hope that there will no longer be any indication of the winning bidder arrangement in the PBJ process, so that a fair and corruption-free process will be created.

Likewise in the licensing sector, Ghufron explained, business actors hope that there will be no additional costs outside of procedures or requirements that complicate business activities in the region, and that licensing times will be accelerated.

For this reason, Ghufron hopes that there will be collaboration between local governments, business actors, the central government and SOEs to break the chain of corruption by unraveling and finding solutions to this problem.

"The presence of the KPK in this forum is to build hope and the KPK will oversee our duties and functions in accordance with the corridors of their respective authorities and responsibilities," he said.

For this reason, the KPK asks the regional government and other relevant agencies as well as business entities to have the same vision in realizing a healthy and fair business climate in Indonesia.

"We hope that the government and related OPD agencies will take one breath, which is to ensure that the procedures and conditions are certain, so that the business world becomes fair," he said.

According to him, what the business sector needs are two things, namely certainty of terms and procedures and fair business competition.

"If the business world is not fair, the market will be damaged, so the government and the business world must have the same vision," he said.

Maluku Deputy Governor Barnabas Nathaniel Orno agrees that the risks to the business, private and corporate sectors are caused by complicated licensing, bribery and gratification practices.

"It must be addressed by revamping the system, so that the business world can run its business properly and there are no loopholes for bribery and gratuities in smoothing out their business ventures," said Barnabas Orno.