JAKARTA - Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) assesses the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Operation Tangkap Tangan (OTT) which again targets the Customs and Excise ranks is not just a matter of individuals, but a strong evidence of systemic problems that have been allowed to recur for years.
The Founding Secretary of IAW Iskandar Sitorus said that the findings of the Financial Audit Report (LHP) of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) against the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) since the early 2000s showed a pattern that had hardly changed.
"The audit language is consistent: weak internal oversight, information technology systems are not integrated, selective physical inspections, and post-customs audits are far from adequate," said Iskandar, Sunday, February 8.
According to him, this issue has never been positioned as the work of an individual from the beginning. BPK instead highlights the weaknesses of the institution's structure and governance.
"In the logic of the audit, one deviation is cheating. But if it is repeated across time, across ports, and across leadership, then the problem is no longer an individual, but the institutional ecosystem," he said.
The IAW assessed that the BPK's recommendations such as data integration, strengthening of audits, to improving risk management have been submitted many times. However, its implementation is considered not serious so that the gap for irregularities remains open.
Iskandar said that the allowance for this condition could no longer be considered merely an administrative negligence. In the perspective of state administrative law, the allowance by authorized officials can actually be a form of institutional responsibility.
"DJBC has great authority, big budget, and technological support. If the old pattern continues to repeat, it is no longer an accident," he said.
From the perspective of forensic audit, IAW also doubts the claim that the violation only involves one company. According to him, this kind of practice is only possible if the system can be used repeatedly and by many parties.
"Schemes like this only live if they are repeatable, scalable, and multi-user. It doesn't make sense that a gap as big as that is only used by one actor," said Iskandar.
He added that the inefficiency of the port system also created a rent space, where the official route was considered slow and expensive, while the "assistance" route offered certainty. This condition, he said, triggered corrupt practices that harmed the country while suppressing the business world.
For IAW, OTT should be a momentum for thorough improvement, not just a momentary action.
"This is not just about catching hands, but dismantling the machine. As long as the BPK recommendation is not carried out seriously and the repairs are only patchwork, this cycle will continue to repeat itself," he concluded.
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