Mahfud: Main Root Corruption Occurs Inequality In Economic Growth

Vice Presidential Candidate Mahfud MD (central) in the NTT Diaspora Dialogue with Prof Mahfud MD in Jakarta, Tuesday (19/12/2023). (ANTARA PHOTO/Hreeloita Dharma Shanti)

JAKARTA - Candidate for vice president number 3 Mahfud Md assesses that the rampant corruption problem is the main root of the imbalance in economic growth in various parts of Indonesia to date.

"Why is it still unequal now? Why is all this growth not yet touching six percent? The theory that can explain it all is because Indonesia has too much corruption," Mahfud said in "NTT Diaspora Dialogue with Prof Mahfud MD" in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 19.

Mahfud believes that the Indonesian economy has the potential to grow more than six percent every year, but corruption cases that cannot be resolved by the government create inequality between natural resources and human resource managers.

"For example, I have recorded the last four years that the cases that I have handled have only involved corruption of Rp701 trillion," he said.

This inequality practically makes economic growth in Indonesia uneven.

Mahfud gave an example of the contribution of the western region of Indonesia which dominates 80 percent of economic growth. Even Java Island contributed 57 percent of the national economy, while the eastern region of Indonesia only contributed 20 percent.

Mahfud regretted this considering that eastern Indonesia, such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has natural potential, a very rich cultural diversity, but its condition is still below the national average because it has not yet maximally managed the existing potential.

"So I say, whatever theory you use if you are not able to eradicate corruption, at least stop the sustainability of corruption from time to time, then economic growth will never reach its maximum," said the man who is still serving as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Mahfud admitted that he had studied four important sectors that must be considered in economic growth, namely the large amount of government spending, public consumption, export-import activities, and digitization.

"In the four sectors of public economic growth, there is too much corruption," he said.

According to him, if the problem of corruption can be handled, the funds taken by corruptors can save MSMEs in the regions to develop and encourage economic growth to become more even.

Therefore, Mahfud advised the government to focus more on improving the nation's economy, so that it can divide income fairly to realize equity to the lowest level of society.

"This includes overcoming inequality between one region and another, including of course NTT which must be part of the main priority for future development," said Mahfud.