That was the headline for an article in the Jakarta Post suggesting that corruption was on a downturn here with more domestic and foreign businesses having opted to operate without bribery in Indonesia.
The bottom line is that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in both the UK and the USA expressly prohibit companies from indulging in the old “Brown Paper Bag” routine, with jail sentences and corporate fines being part and parcel of the punishments meted out.
"Even if you win a deal by paying someone off, the company's reputation suffers, and you risk losing your job or possibly worse. Hence, the cost becomes very expensive. It's just bad business," Trace International president Alexandra Wrage told The Jakarta Post in an interview here recently.
She said companies willing to bribe officials were a small minority compared to clean firms.
"Companies are afraid because their executives are going to prison in the U.S. and other countries. An executive sitting in America, for instance, can go to jail because an employee in Indonesia screws up," Wrage said.
This may be the case in the business environment but, whoop de fucking doo!
I want to ask Ms Wrage how she goes about getting things done without the extra payments. If her power goes down and the PLN Electrical guys arrive to repair the problem does she pay the “Call Out” fee.
If she gets stopped by a cop for a traffic offence does she pay the “Spot Fine” or does she let them take her license to the station to be claimed a few days later after lengthy negotiations. (And a possible greater fine)
The list of “bribes” that are paid on an almost weekly basis is overwhelming, want your paperwork processed faster, the quick jump to the top of the queue, Cable TV installed yesterday, rubbish collected……you got it, we pay out!
Truth is that the corruption we experience most is of a low level variety, deep rooted in the fact that as the wages are so low the employee’s seek any avenue for supplements.
So my dear, keep up the good work, but please refrain from forcing horseshit down my throat about “the end of corruption is nigh”.
Remember where you live and take a good look around you!
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