Tackling Corruption in Indonesia: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Indonesia has abundant natural and human resources. With a large population and abundant natural resources, Indonesia has the potential to become the centre of the world economy. But in reality, Indonesia faces many challenges. With such abundant wealth, corruption, economic growth, and poverty are the biggest problems in Indonesia. Corruption is closely related to the economic condition of society. This study aims to analyse the impact of corruption on the poverty rate in Indonesia. Using secondary data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) from 2018 to 2022, a panel data regression model in 34 provinces in Indonesia was used to obtain 170 data samples. The researcher found that the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which is considered an indicator of the level of corruption in Indonesia, has a negative and significant impact on the poverty rate. On the other hand, GR as an indicator of economic growth in Indonesia has a negative and significant impact on Indonesia's economic growth. In this study, economic growth is able to moderate the interaction relationship between corruption and poverty levels in Indonesia. Although Indonesia in the 2018-2022 timeframe has always experienced growth, this is also in line with the higher level of corruption in Indonesia, which has an impact on the high disparity and poverty in Indonesia. Therefore, the government and society must work together to fight corruption and reduce poverty by improving transparency and increasing public participation in order to reduce inequality and poverty among Indonesians.

Corruption is a severe issue that threatens good government and impedes national growth. Various legislative tools, including Law Number 31 of 1999 in conjunction with Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption, have been used in Indonesia to combat corruption, as well as the establishment of special institutions such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Although regulations and institutions for eradicating corruption are available, the implementation of the law in the field still faces various obstacles, including weak coordination between law enforcers, political intervention, and the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on perpetrators of corruption. The study seeks to analyze the legal framework governing corruption eradication in Indonesia and identify obstacles in its implementation. This study also looks at legal tactics that can be used to improve the efficacy of anti-corruption efforts. This study takes a normative legal approach and concentrates on analyzing pertinent laws and regulations, court records, and scholarly works. This study's data came from secondary sources including books, scientific journals, and reports from anti-corruption organizations, as well as primary sources like relevant laws and regulations. It is anticipated that this investigation will provide a deeper insight of the effectiveness of the law in eradicating corruption in Indonesia and to find aspects that need to be improved in the existing legal system. Thus, this study can provide academic contributions and practical recommendations for policymakers to strengthen the eradication of corruption in Indonesia. In addition to analyzing the legal framework and challenges, this study also explores the role of public awareness and participation in the fight against corruption in Indonesia. Public involvement, such as through the reporting of corrupt activities and participation in anti-corruption campaigns, can significantly contribute to strengthening anti-corruption efforts.

This paper evaluates the impact of corruption on deforestation in Indonesia. The world’s nature environment and global warming questions are one of the main factors of international concerns. Massive deforestation threatens Indonesian biodiversity. This research paper analyses issues of whether deforestation in Indonesia is caused by corruption and supported by crude palm oil production. This issue was questioned earlier by using Engel Granger cointegration test, three time series of data, specifically corruption perception index (CPI), rate of deforestation and price of crude palm oil that was inspected for a long-run relationship. Yet long-run relationship was not found. The author of this article shows that while answering this question, CPI values are not as important as the very nature of corruption in Indonesia. However, CPI is still extremely high in Indonesia as the nature of corruption is convenient for illegal logging. Thus, international response is needed so that to decrease the level of deforestation in Indonesia. With the new European Union Law that requires legal sourcing of wood products, Indonesia commits to enforce new rules in the Asia’s largest rainforest. For example, FLEGT licensing became operational on November 15, 2016. The European Union is strictly enforcing these rules what is a good step against deforestation in hand with illegal logging in Indonesia. In this way to analyse in detail the FLEGT programme and the EU activities, is beyond the scope of this paper. There stays questioned the Indonesian Presidents’ ban on new palm oil plantations and mining licence, because such approach can potentially increase corruption and unofficial economy at local levels. The author of this paper wants to fulfil the gap in understanding about the link between deforestation in Indonesia and corruption. The level of corruption in Indonesia is not the main issue, but the nature of corruption is the main problem.

Ccorruption is an extra ordinary crime which has complex problem. There are many causes of corruption; and ccorruption has negative impact to many sectors, which is causing huge losses to the state and society. During the last decade, since the Corruption Eradication Commission (CEC) of the Republic of Indonesia has been established, the eradication of corruption cases has been done massively. However, the amount of corruption cases which have been handled by law enforcement agencies tend to increase by year to year. This paper will identify what factors are causing corruption and provide the ideas how to eradicate the corruption in Indonesia. There are at least five factors that cause corruption in Indonesia. The first one is politic factor. Secondly, is ineffective of system. The third is incentive or financial pressure factor. The fourth is due to the weak of law enforcement. The last of corruption causes is lack of integrity. This paper also provides the problem solving of corruption which is a latent endemic problem in Indonesia based on law number 30 of 2002 and identify the main causes of corruption. By identifying the root causes of corruption, hopefully it can be expected for eradicating corruption effectively and efficiently.

Corruption remains a highly complex problem in Indonesia, which has significant impacts on governance, economic development, and public trust. This article examines the dynamics of corruption in the Indonesian government through several corruption issues that occur and involve policy makers or government authorities. In addition, it also highlights the complexity of corruption, including the relationship between political influence, institutional weaknesses, and failures in the corruption prevention and handling system. Furthermore, this article further explores anti-corruption efforts in Indonesia, focusing on strategies such as the establishment of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), legal reform, transparency initiatives, and community involvement. By conducting a critical analysis of the challenges in efforts to handle corruption in Indonesia, which are also related to political interference, institutional weaknesses, and cultural acceptance of corruption, as well as opportunities to strengthen anti-corruption measures in handling corruption.

Indonesia has made efforts to prevent and eradicate criminal acts. However, the reality is that corruption is still a problem in Indonesia. Corruption occurs in various aspects of state life and institutions, not only central government institutions but also regional governments. Corruption has bad impacts ranging from lowering the level of people’s welfare, destroying morality, and the foundations of national resilience. As time goes by, acts of corruption are carried out in various ways and are increasingly organized. More strategic efforts are needed to deal with this because corruption does not only talk about criminal acts and the perpetrators but is also related to the results of that corruption. The first question is how is corruption in Indonesia today? Second, what is the proper legal reconstruction to deal with it? Then to answer these problems, this research was made using an analytical descriptive method and a normative juridical approach by adding a set of data, one of which was from the n Vivo application. According to this study, there is still a lot of corruption in Indonesia, and because the state must also receive the benefits of criminal acts of corruption, there is a need for special rules that can carefully monitor in order to carry out asset recovery. Keywords: construction, corruption asset recovery

This study maps corruption trends in Indonesia during President Joko Widodo’s administration (2014–2024) using a systematic mixed studies review (SMSR) with a Parallel-results Convergent Synthesis Design. By integrating a systematic literature review (SLR) and focus group discussions (FGDs), this research uncovers the entrenched structural, political, and bureaucratic mechanisms that sustain corrupt practices. Corruption in Indonesia is not merely a legal violation but a systemic issue deeply embedded in governance structures, oligarchic influence, and patronage politics. Key drivers include weak democratic institutions, ineffective law enforcement, high political costs, and transactional politics in public office appointments. The study highlights how corruption persisted under Jokowi’s administration through the 2019 revision of the KPK Law, regulatory capture by political elites, and law enforcement intervention in procurement processes. Additionally, media and civil society organizations, which should serve as independent watchdogs, have often been co-opted by political and economic interests, undermining their role in anti-corruption efforts. The findings emphasize that eradicating corruption requires comprehensive institutional reforms, integrity-driven leadership, and fundamental cultural shifts toward transparency and accountability. A multidimensional strategy engaging political institutions, civil society, and oversight agencies is essential to breaking entrenched corruption networks. This study contributes to the broader discourse on governance by offering a framework for future research and policy reforms aimed at strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms in Indonesia.

This study aims to determine progressive law enforcement in an effort to eradicate corruption in Indonesia and the application of progressive law in the context of combating corruption in Indonesia. The type of research used, namely normative legal research. Data is obtained through primary legal materials, secondary legal materials, and tertiary legal materials. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively and presented descriptively. The results of this study indicate that (1) progressive law enforcement in the effort to eradicate corruption acts lies in the activities of aligning the values contained in the community then realizing those values into reality, where in its application is influenced by several factors including legal substance, structure law, legal culture, professionalism, and leadership. (2) A criminal act of corruption is a criminal act which is categorized as an extraordinary crime due to the impact of a very wide corruption, which is concerning the welfare of the people. KPK as a law enforcer must also be able to carry out more progressive and massive prevention and repression efforts so that it can minimize or even eradicate the nation's problems completely. In this case too, the KPK does not work alone, it also requires an active role of the community in carrying out preventive efforts for the realization of an anti-corruption community. Keywords: Law, Corruption, Progressive, Criminal.

Introduction: Embezzlement of customer funds is a form of criminal act of corruption that harms many parties, including customers who lose their money, financial institutions whose reputation is damaged, and the public who have lost confidence in the financial system. Effective prevention and law enforcement efforts are needed to eradicate this practice.Purposes of the Research: This study aims to describe and analyze the phenomenon of embezzlement of customer funds as a form of corruption in Indonesia. Embezzlement of customer funds is a crime that harms society and affects trust in financial institutions.Methods of the Research: The research method used is literature study which involves analysis of literature, reports, court cases, and laws related to corruption and finance in Indonesia. The data collected is analyzed qualitatively to provide an in-depth understanding of embezzlement of customer funds.Results of the Research: The research results show that embezzlement of customer funds occurs through various fraudulent schemes carried out by parties who have access to customer funds, such as bank employees, investment managers, or stockbrokers. These actions often involve the use of illegally obtained customer information or abuse of authority. Several factors influence the embezzlement of customer funds in Indonesia, including weak internal and external control systems, low integrity of individuals involved in the financial industry, and lack of adequate policies and regulations. Therefore, improvements are needed in financial governance, increased supervision, employee training, and strict law enforcement to prevent and take action against perpetrators of embezzlement of customer funds. The conclusion of this study is that embezzlement of customer funds is a criminal act of corruption that needs serious attention from the government, financial institutions and the public. With the right steps, such as strengthening regulations and increasing awareness of the risk of embezzlement of funds, it is expected to reduce incidents of embezzlement of customer funds and maintain public confidence in the financial system in Indonesia

Corruption in Indonesia has spread like a virus since the 1960s and has harmed not only the victims of this crime, but also the national economy. The government is trying to eradicate such crimes, namely law enforcement, but the problem persists. Standard legal research methods were used in the current study. A statutory approach was used to consider the termination of an investigation as a basis for filing an earlier trial by a third party whose data was collected from a library review. To analyze the data, the researcher examined the materials obtained for further processing. As a result, it was revealed that there is still a huge gap between law enforcement officials and those who suffer from corruption cases. The pretrial complaint mechanism still leaves ambiguity in the hearts of victims because it has not been effective. Therefore, based on the findings, we recommend that law enforcement officials implement some serious and clear eradication mechanisms to reduce corruption and victims in Indonesia.

This article examines the relationship between religiosity and corruption in post-Reform Indonesia, positioning religion as both a normative foundation and an ethical framework for governance. Historically, the principle of Belief in the One and Only God enshrined in Pancasila aimed to reinforce moral integrity within state administration. However, recent political developments indicate an increasing appropriation of religious values, undermining their effectiveness as genuine moral guides in political power. Through a qualitative literature review and cross-national comparative analysis, this study explores the connections among religious values, moral consciousness, and the quality of political institutions. The findings reveal that Islamic ethical principles such as ghulul (misappropriation of public resources), risywah(bribery), and khianat (betrayal of trust) strongly condemn abuses of power and violations of public trust; however, they are insufficient to combat corruption without robust institutional support. Comparative analysis with advanced democracies, including Germany, Japan, and Scandinavian countries, demonstrates that governance integrity is primarily maintained by the rule of law, a transparent political culture, and accountable institutions, rather than by high levels of societal religiosity. Conversely, in developing countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh, high religiosity often coexists with social tolerance toward corruption due to weak law enforcement and entrenched patronage-based political cultures. This study emphasizes the need for a dual strategy to combat corruption in Indonesia: internalizing religious moral values at the individual level while strengthening political institutions to enhance transparency, accountability, and support for substantive democracy. Practically, these findings highlight the importance of integrating religious ethical values into anticorruption policies, bureaucratic reforms, and the enhancement of law enforcement institutions to promote sustainable and integrity-based governance.

Corruption is a persistent problem in Indonesia. The impact of corruption is very widespread which results in poverty and inhibits infrastructure development. Law enforcement for perpetrators of corruption in Indonesia still uses minimum and maximum imprisonment and in the form of fines. This resulted in the difficulty of recovering state financial losses due to corruption. So a new paradigm for criminalizing corruption is needed through the concept of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). The aims of this study are 1) to find out the legal ratio of DPA application as an enforcement of corruption. 2) to find out the implementation of DPA in corruption crimes in Indonesia. Furthermore, this research method is a normative legal research method. This research method is used to examine studies in the form of books, journals, and regulations related to the author's research. The results of this study indicate that the correct basic concept used in criminal prosecution of corruption in Indonesia is the DPA concept from the UK, where the implementation is through negotiations between the prosecutor and the suspect and then the results of the negotiations are asked for the judge's opinion. Furthermore, after being approved by the judge, it will continue with the implementation of the contents of the DPA. So the concept of DPA is very appropriate to restore losses due to corruption.

Corruption is a serious problem that damages the social, economic and political order in various countries, especially Indonesia. Corruption has a broad and detrimental impact on society and the state, such as obstruction of development, reduced public trust in institutions, and social and economic disparities. The purpose of this research is to find out how the effectiveness of criminal law in prosecuting corruption in Indonesia based on normative juridical analysis and how the application of criminal law in prosecuting corruption in Indonesia. The type of method used by the author in this research is Normative Juridical research, which is a library legal research conducted by examining library materials or periodic secondary data. Thus the object analyzed with a qualitative approach is a research method that refers to the legal norms contained in the legislation. The conclusion of this research is that as a state of law, Indonesia must carry out a law enforcement process for corruption to ensure the rule of law, justice and peace in society. However, it is clear that law enforcement of corruption in Indonesia is still weak. This is due to the fact that there are still many lawmakers or law enforcers who commit corruption. The existence of lawmakers or law enforcers who commit corruption can reduce public trust in them. And the advice that can be given is that the government needs to revise the laws related to the eradication of corruption to eliminate legal loopholes that can be utilized by perpetrators of corruption. The application of strict sanctions in accordance with the level of crime committed must be carried out to show the government's commitment to eradicating corruption. It is also hoped that the government will harmonize the corruption law with other related regulations to avoid overlap and ensure harmony in law enforcement.

Honesty as the Fundamental Basis of Legal Education: A Study and Critique on “Freedom to Learn” Educational Policy

Corruption is a problem faced by almost all countries. This study aims to further review efforts to eradicate corruption in Indonesia with a character education approach. Character education for the community is a fresh idea for solving corruption problems in Indonesia. This study aims to provide an overview of the prevention or eradication of corruption with other approaches. The approach used is more towards a personal human approach to corrupt behavior. After getting a good understanding of corruption, then a system will be created that will lead every corrupt behavior to self-awareness so that it does not act corruptly. The research data were obtained from literacy collection and then compiled and analyzed in order to obtain an overview and conclusion that corruption cases can be overcome by other methods, namely using the method introduced by Mahatma Gandhi, namely the meaning approach and the human personal approach.