Corruption Remains Rampant Across Indonesian Government Institutions, Survey Finds

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id – The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission released the findings of its 2024 Integrity Assessment Survey on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The results revealed pervasive corruption and bribery affecting nearly all government institutions, with 90% of ministries and agencies and 97% of local governments implicated.

“Internal sources indicate a 10% increase, meaning more internal respondents acknowledged witnessing bribery or gratification from the private sector. This makes it prevalent across 90% of institutions,” said Pahala Nainggolan, deputy for prevention and monitoring at the the commision, also known as KPK, during the presentation of the survey.

The survey revealed that 36% of internal respondents had observed or heard of bribery or gratification involving money, goods, or facilities from public or private service users over the past year. Among external respondents, 21% reported similar observations, while 76% of the responses came from experts.

“Although these incidents are widespread, the frequency varies—some are very frequent, others moderate, and some rare. Overall, 90% of ministries/agencies and 97% of local governments still experience cases of bribery or gratification,” Nainggolan explained.

Persistent Corruption in Procurement

The survey also highlighted systemic issues in the procurement of goods and services, with 97% of ministries/agencies and 99% of local governments affected. Internal respondents reported abuses tied to pre-determined vendors controlled by government institutions.

“Over 53% of internal respondents observed worsening procurement practices, including a rise in pre-determined vendors and non-beneficial activities. Nepotism has surged by 30%, and bribery in procurement has increased by 10%,” Nainggolan added.

Additionally, the survey found evidence of position-buying and influence-peddling across ministries and local governments. External interventions were reported by 8% of employees, indicating instances of outside influence on institutional decision-making.

Broad Scope of SPI Survey

The 2024 SPI surveyed 641 institutions and involved 601,453 respondents, including nearly 400,000 internal employees and 200,000 external participants. Nainggolan emphasized the survey’s robust methodology and data protection measures.

“SPI scores were derived from feedback from both internal employees and external parties such as the public and vendors. We reached out via WhatsApp to around 5 million recipients, with over 600,000 responding. Confidentiality was strictly maintained, with responses handled solely by the KPK,” Nainggolan assured.