Finance minister expects 'breakthroughs' from new customs chief

Newly appointed Customs and Excise Office chief Agung Kuswandono should set a proper example within the force to prevent corruption, Finance Minister Agus Martowardoyo said at Agung's official installation on Monday night.

“I’ve noticed you succeeded in making various breakthroughs that led to good governance practices [being adopted] in your previous offices. Therefore, I expect nothing less from you, but on a wider scale [in the Customs and Excise Office],” Agus said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Agung was appointed to head the customs office, reputed to be among the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia, to replace Thomas Sugijata, who has reached retirement age.

Previously, Agung was the head of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Customs and Excise Office.

Earlier Tempo weekly magazine, Indonesia's leading investigative media outlet, also nominated Agung as one of the top 10 public officials for integrity.

When asked about what he wanted to do next as the new customs chief, Agung said he wanted to consolidate within the office before making any further movements.