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Don't flaunt your wealth on social media, Jokowi tells govt officials
President Joko Widodo has weighed in on the wealthy taxman dilemma, siding with public opinion and calling for everyone within government ranks to stop flaunting their wealth and provide a better service.
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Tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo (right) arrives at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta, March 1, 2023 to attend questioning on his suspicious wealth. In his latest official report he filed with the KPK, Rafael’s net worth was Rp 56.1 billion (US$3.7 million). (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
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n his first public statement on the uproar over the lavish lifestyles of tax officials, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called on civil servants to lead modest lives and refrain from showing off their wealth, especially on social media.
In a speech delivered at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, Jokowi also called on all Cabinet ministers and government agencies to enforce discipline among their ranks and urged the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to investigate possible wrongdoing in how officials had obtained their wealth.
“I want us and everyone below us to stress this; don’t show off your power. Don’t show off your wealth, especially by posting on Instagram and other social media platforms. For members of the bureaucracy, this is really inappropriate,” he told a national coordination meeting.
In his speech, Jokowi acknowledged the public’s anger toward the extravagance of civil servants, as well as toward police and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel, who face criticism for being arrogant and insensitive.
“I’ve followed the developments very closely both on social media and on the ground [...]. I can sense there’s massive disappointment and the people are right about this. The service is subpar, while officials are arrogant,” he said.
Crackdown continues
The President’s remarks were his first comments on the public relations crisis currently engulfing the Finance Ministry, which emerged after an assault case in South Jakarta opened up a Pandora’s box of irregularities involving the behavior of officials from the Directorate General for Taxation.
