As the government increases the budget allocation for health programs, graft has worsened in the sector, according to an antigraft watchdog. The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) found that between 2009 and 2013, the state lost Rp 466 billion (US$38.2 million) due to graft. Data from the government shows that the budget allocation for the health sector has steadily increased by 167 percent from 2005 to 2012. For 2014, the budget for health is Rp 44.8 trillion, up from Rp 31 trillion in 2013. ICW recorded that between 2001 and 2008, the state lost Rp 128 billion from 42 cases of graft in the health sector, involving 73 suspects. Between 2009 and 2013 the state suffered Rp 466 billion from 80 graft cases involving 182 suspects. “The prosecution of corruption cases in health sector increases in number every year. In 2001, there was only one case prosecuted and then the number rose to 17 with the state losing Rp 64 billion in 2008,” ICW researcher Febri Hendri said. The worst came in 2013 with law enforcement agencies prosecuting 49 cases, resulting in Rp 336 billion state losses, Febri said. “It is interesting to see that the largest number of graft practices in the health sector was reported in years preceding general elections, in 2008 and 2013. We can assume that money from the health budget was stolen to fund political campaigning,” he added. Of the total 122 cases, 43 took place in the procurement of health facilities that caused Rp 442 billion in state losses. ICW also said graft practices were found in hospital renovation and drug procurement projects. “Of all the cases, budget markup is the most common modus operandi,” Febri said. A physician with a regional general hospital in South Tangerang, Banten, confirmed that budget markups were rampant, especially in state-run hospitals. “Other modus opreandi include ordering medical equipment below the minimum standard as well as health officials appointing preferred candidates in the procurement committee,” the physician Daniel Richard said on Sunday. Data from the ICW also shows that the largest amount of state losses from corruption resulted from graft at the Health Ministry. The ministry lost Rp 249 billion from graft cases, although only nine graft cases were investigated. Meanwhile, 46 graft cases involving local health agencies at the regency, municipality and provincial levels had caused the state to lose Rp 191 billion. Banten and North Sumatra top the list of provinces inflicting losses on the state. “Banten and North Sumatra are top with Rp 71.59 billion from nine cases and Rp 59.16 billion from 15 cases, respectively,” Febri said. Late last year, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah and her brother Tubagus “Wawan” Chaeri Wardana as suspects in graft cases in a health facility procurement project in the period 2011-2013. Wawan has also been named a suspect in another health procurement project in the South Tangerang municipal administration, where his wife serves as the mayor. As of 2013, Atut was the third regional head arrested for graft in relation to health facility procurement projects. The ICW also recorded that two former health ministries and two former directorate generals at the ministry had been arrested for graft centering on health procurement projects. Health Ministry’s spokesperson Murti Utami said she would check the accuracy of data from the ICW. Murti said that ministry had also stepped up its efforts to eradicate corruption in the health sector. “Regarding the legal cases being tried at the court, the ministry put its trust on the law enforcement agencies to handle them,” she said.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 08:35:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015