Cabinet members slow to hand over financial reports

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 08/30/2007 1:52 PM

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may have tried to set a good anti-corruption example by submitting to a state audit and encouraging his ministers to do the same, but few members of the Cabinet have rushed to do so.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced Wednesday the wealth of three more active and former state officials, with all posting additional billions of rupiah in their accounts.

State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan A. Djalil reported Rp 9,593,790,218 (about US$1 million) and US$137,346 as of end of April, almost doubling his standing in November 2004 at Rp 5,218,428,924 and $91,670 thanks to the ballooning value of his stocks and notes.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Hidayat Nurwahid was worth Rp 455,869,877 and $5,000 in December last year, up from Rp 233,269,290 and $15,000 in January 2003 due to the increased value of his property and the purchase of two new cars and a motorcycle.

Former state minister for disadvantaged regions Saifullah Yusuf's wealth report was at Rp 5,193,803,224 as of April from Rp 4,213,800,000 in November 2004 with the purchase of several vehicles and higher-valued notes.

Unlike the first two, Saifullah also recorded more debts, standing at Rp 182,693,776, up from just Rp 24,000,000.

KPK deputy for graft prevention Sjahruddin Rasul said the increases appeared ordinary although deeper analyses, which the KPK carries out randomly, could have different results.

Of all five dismissed Cabinet members, only former State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra has not filed his report.

The 1999 Law on Clean and Good Governance obliges all state officials to submit their wealth reports to the KPK before, during and after their tenure, but there are no penalties for not doing so.

""We have communicated with Yusril's accountant, who said the report's been completed and is awaiting Yusril to sign it,"" said Sjahruddin.

Yusril is reported to be busy shooting his first film abroad.

A total of 11 current Cabinet members have not updated their reports, which were due in October last year, despite the President's plea for regular wealth reports.

The President has made himself an example by reporting his wealth to the KPK a few days before the 2004 general elections. He reported his wealth to be Rp 4.5 billion at the time.

The KPK also called on 31 members of the House of Representatives and 10 members of the Regional Representatives Council who have never filed a report since sitting in 2004.

Meanwhile, the KPK said officials in the judiciary had the lowest compliance rate compared to those in the executive, legislative and state-owned enterprises sectors.

Out of 20,926 officials who must report the wealth in the judiciary, less than a half have ever submitted a wealth report to the KPK.

""I suppose those in the judiciary, of all people, should be the ones who abide by the law,"" said Sjahruddin.

He said the key problem with non-compliance was officials complaining the complexity of the form they had to fill out.

The KPK has carried out trainings nationwide on filling out the form, which is available for download on its Web site, and critics say non-compliance is essentially a case of unwillingness.

Sjahruddin said the KPK was working to possibly impose a penalty for non-compliance, but no details were available yet.

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