President Jokowi Calls for Simplified Accounting System

President Jokowi takes picture with the participants of Congress of the Institute of Indonesia Chartered Accountants (IAI) at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (11/12). Photo by: Rahmat/PR.

Accounting system in the Government and in private sectors must combine accountability, efficiency, results, and speed, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

You don’t need a lot of procedures. Accounting should be fast, cheap, and secure, without complicated procedures,” the President said at the opening of the Institute of Indonesia Chartered Accountants (IAI) Congress at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (11/12).

Therefore, President Jokowi urged accountants to provide a more simple accounting procedure, citing some examples of the inefficiency such as many Government employees spending too much time on administrative matters and fund distribution for quake-hit Lombok reconstruction taking longer time due to unnecessary procedures.

The administrative matters in Government agencies, the President added, should also be simplified so that Government agencies and regional governments can quickly respond to the global changes.

President Jokowi went on to say that complicated procedures do not guarantee compliance and the accounting system should also reduce the opportunity cost as well.

“Delays, slowness, and lack of courage to innovate result in enormous opportunity costs,” the President said, adding that he supports the IAI’s plan to speed up certification program to ensure that Indonesian accountants can be creative, innovative, skillful and competitive to create a more accountable, efficient, goal-oriented, and innovative ecosystem. (FID/RAH/ES)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Ersan Pamungkas