"Corruption is rampant in this country. It is a serious problem, and it hinders the country's development," said the president.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government and law enforcers should be committed to eradicating corruption. There should be no discrimination when it comes to fighting corruption.
"Corruption is rampant in this country. It is a serious problem, and it hinders the country's development," said the president, during the commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption Day in his state palace, on Monday.
The head of state said the government and law enforcers should not remain silent.
"We should not tolerate corruption. We should not allow corruption to be a part of our lives. So far, there has not been any discrimination in our corruption eradication efforts. Still, the results are not evident," Yudhoyono said.
The head of state said besides bringing corrupt people to justice, it is also important to eliminate the sources of corruption.
"Corruption cannot be eradicated instantly. It will take a long time (to achieve the goal)," said the president.
According to him, there are four areas that a law enforcer needs to pay special attention to when it comes to eradicating corruption. The first area is the procurement of goods and services, where mark-ups should be prevented.
The president said the second area is the issuance of licenses in the regions. "This is one of the negative impacts of decentralisation," he said.
The third area is the usage of the regional budget and the state budget. The president has urged legal enforcers to keep track of the budget so that it is not misused.
"The forth area is the deviation of taxes," the president said.
Yudhoyono believes that accounts should be monitored to ensure that there is no collusion between tax payers and tax officials.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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