Indonesia steps up anti-corruption in financial sector
Indonesia’s Minister of National Planning and Development (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa on March 9 announced six corruption prevention actions for the 2023-2024 period with a focus on state finance.
Minister of National Planning and Development (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa during the commitment signing of the 2023-2024 Corruption Prevention Action Implementation in Jakarta on March 9. (Photo:antaranews.com)
Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Minister ofNational Planning and Develop🥀ment (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa on March 9announced six corruption prevention actions for the 2023-2024 period with afocus on state fin💜ance.
Speaking at a press conference on March 9, the ministersaid that the implementation of Indonesia’s National Strategy for CorruptionPrevention (Stranas PK) has entered its third period, with the sixanti-corruption actions to be implemented in 2023 and 2024.
Specifically, the first preventive action is tostrengthen digitalisation, planning, budgeting, and reporting for synergisingextreme poverty alleviation programmes.
The second is improving the performance of spendingon development by increasing the effectiveness of government procurement audits.
The third is strengthening the governance ofnon-tax revenue (PNBP), especially in mineral and coal commodities.
Regarding the 4th action, Indonesia will focus onreducing the risk of state revenue leakage by structuring the central government'sfixed assets and strengthening political parties in preventing corruption.
The country will also optimise datainteroperability based on the citizens' identity card numbers (NIK) used forgovernment programmes.
Last but not least, the action plan targets that theperformance of corruption prevention actions will be monitored every threemonths through the jaga.id application at the Corruption E༺radication Commission(KPK).
Activities will be reported to the President by the KPK everysix months or anytime when the President orders.
The above plan is part of the National Strategy onAnti-Corruption (Stranas PK) issued by the President in 2018. The strategyincludes 15 action plans based on three focuses - licensing and corporategovernance, transparency of state finances, and refor🐽m of the bureaucracy andlaw enforcement./.
Based on the estimated rice production data for 2023 from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country is predicted to experience a rice shortage for nine months, said Director of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Maino Dwi Hartono.
Indonesia's Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan on March 8 signed the 2022 International Coffee Agreement (ICA) at the Secretariat of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) in London, the United Kingdom.
Bank Indonesia (BI) is collaborating with the Bank of England (BOE) in holding the ASEAN Central Banks Workshop on Enhancing Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Integrating Cross-Border Payment Systems, and Exploring Central-Bank Digital Currencies from March 8-10 in Jakarta.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) of Indonesia is planning to hold the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX) in Bantul, Yogyakarta province this year.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
Aircraft are prohibited from flying below 6,000 metres in the vicinity of the volcano, and should also remain alert to the presence of volcanic ash, which can disrupt flights.
Laos declared the transfer of the press management functions of five key media agencies and associated personnel to the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.
Univers said in a statement that the new centre will serve as a hub for innovation, bringing together digital intelligence and climate ambition to accelerate Sarawak's transition toward a low-carbon, tech-enabled economy.
The target is to be completely free from plastic waste within two years. This can only be achieved if all parties implement the initiative with strong discipline.
Indonesia is taking new steps to improve protections for fishery workers, amid concerns over low wages, harsh working conditions, and limited access to social welfare.
The 2025 ASEAN- the Republic of Korea (RoK) Connectivity Forum that opened in Jakarta on June 17 reaffirmed a shared commitment to shaping a connected, resilient future by advancing the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan.
The desk will serve as a service centre providing market intelligence, business licensing guidance, facilitating business cooperation, identifying potential investment projects, and harmonising regulatory policies between the two parties.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted that the Asia-Pacific region accounted for half of global energy consumption and 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. Despite this, regional countries, including eight of ten ASEAN member states, remain committed to climate goals, including net-zero emissions and tripling global renewable capacity by 2030.
Minister of National Planning and Development (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa during the commitment signing of the 2023-2024 Corruption Prevention Action Implementation in Jakarta on March 9. (Photo:antaranews.com) 
