Jayapura (ANTARA) - Papua's caretaker governor, Ridwan Rumasukun, has expressed optimism that the dissemination of corruption prevention information in the provincial government will improve the management of regional budgets (APBD) through transparent, accountable, effective, and efficient financial management.

"Sound financial management can help us realize sustainable development and a clean, corruption-free government," remarked Rumasukun on the occasion of the dissemination on APBD corruption prevention held by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday.

During the dissemination event, the governor, his staff, and the Papua Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) signed an integrity pact on the ratification of the 2024 APBD draft, as well as a joint commitment to preventing corruption in the APBD budgeting planning process.

"We still witness corruption practices occurring in regions despite massive prevention efforts that have been exerted massively. There are three reasons driving someone to commit such an act, namely the existence of pressure, opportunity, and rationalization," he noted.

Rumasukun then reiterated that the signing of the joint commitment was crucial to prevent corruption practices during the planning, budgeting, and implementation processes of the 2024 APBD in the hopes of optimizing the utilization of the budgets.

"We should also be committed to fighting bribery, gratification, extortion, and other corrupt practices while continuing to prioritize the values of integrity and public interests," he pointed out.

He further noted that one of the feasible ways to eradicate corruption is by developing a healthy financial governance system in tandem with a scheduled professional supervision system conducted by both internal and independent auditors.

Rumasukun emphasized the importance of exerting all-out efforts to eradicate corruption while admitting that corruption still constitutes one of the major challenges that Indonesia is facing.

Based on data provided by the KPK, corruption practices mainly occurred within regional governments during the 2004-2022 period.

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Translator: Qadri Pratiwi, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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