Corruption is Indonesia’s Most Complicated Problem, President Jokowi Says

President Jokowi meets with Indonesian Diaspora in South Korea on Sunday evening (15/5)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said that corruption is the most complicated problem that Indonesia is currently facing.

The President made the statement in response to the question given by one of the participants during a meeting between President Jokowi and Indonesian Diaspora in Seoul on Sunday evening (15/5) local time about five most complicated problems that Indonesia is currently facing.

The second problem, he said, is providing job opportunities. “Unemployment rate in Indonesia is 5.6 percent, lower than unemployment rate in other countries such as in Europe, which is above 25 – 30 percent. However, if it is multiplied by 252 million people, it is indeed not a small number,” President Jokowi said to 1,300 Indonesian Diaspora in South Korea who were present at Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel, Seoul (15/5).

The third problem is to settle gap between the rich and the poor, the President said. “There remains gap between the rich and the poor and our Gini ratio is quite big (0.4). This is also what we have to reduce,” the President said.

The fourth problem is gap among regions. “We must create equal development. If we build roads in one region, we have to build roads in other regions as well,” President Jokowi said.

The fifth problem, President Jokowi said, is to increase economic growth. “The problem now is that all countries have negative economic growth. But I believe that if we can surmount all those challenges we are facing now one by one, Insha Allah, our growth will gradually increase,” the President said.

In tackling corruption, President Jokowi asserted that the Government has been improving the system so that there will be no room for corruption.

“One of them is like the one applied at the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in the process to obtain permits. It used to take months but now it can be done within hours. This is to prevent gratification and others,” President Jokowi said.

Regarding measures to combat corruption, President Jokowi said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been taking ‘massive and strong’ measures to fight against corruption.

“Our highlight is to build the system. If we notice, legal measures against corruption over the years have not given deterrent effect, so in my view, we have to build the system,” President Jokowi concluded. (GUN/UN) (Naster/YM/EP)