Prabowo’s Anti-Corruption Strategy: Building a Clean and Transparent Government

By: Andika Pratama

President Prabowo Subianto emphasized his commitment to eradicating corruption and building a clean and transparent government. Strategic steps continue to be taken to ensure that corrupt practices that harm the state can be significantly reduced. On various occasions, the President emphasized that eradicating corruption must be a top priority in the Indonesian government system.
In the Special Session of the 2024 Annual Report of the Supreme Court (MA), Prabowo appealed to judges to uphold justice without discrimination. Law enforcers are asked to have high integrity in carrying out their duties as guardians and protectors of the people. According to him, firmness in prosecuting corruption cases must continue to be applied to build a quality judiciary. Judges must dare to uphold truth, honesty, and justice, so that the supremacy of law can truly be upheld in this country.
A clean government does not only depend on the judicial sector, but also requires synergy with various institutions. For this reason, President Prabowo summoned the Head of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) to discuss concrete steps in eradicating corruption. The direction given emphasized the importance of properly enforcing the law, including in eradicating illegal practices such as illegal mining and illegal lobbying. Synergy with other ministries and institutions is expected to strengthen efforts in enforcing the law and preventing corrupt practices early on.
These steps show that the anti-corruption strategy implemented by President Prabowo is not only rhetorical, but also followed by real policies. One real example is the operation carried out by the West Sumatra Police in cracking down on illegal gold mining. This operation proves that the government does not tolerate activities that harm the state and society, and emphasizes that any form of deviation will be subject to firm action by law enforcement officers.
President Prabowo’s consistency in eradicating corruption has also been seen since the beginning of his administration. Public Policy Observer Anzori Tawakal assessed that what the President did in the first 100 days of his leadership was in line with his first speech at the inauguration. The main focus is not only on the economic and social welfare sectors, but also on the supremacy of law. This commitment is evident in various policies that have been implemented, including in the supervision of commodity trade that has been prone to corrupt practices.
Prabowo also showed special attention to the efficiency of the state budget. The policies taken were not just cutting the budget carelessly, but rather reallocating it to sectors that were more beneficial to the community. Procurement of office stationery, official travel, and hotel ceremonies that absorbed a lot of the budget were diverted to more essential programs such as improving people’s welfare. This shows that the anti-corruption strategy implemented does not only focus on law enforcement, but also on efficiency in managing state finances.
A clean and transparent government also requires support from all elements of the nation. Therefore, in addition to strengthening synergy between institutions, transparency in policy management also continues to be improved. The use of digital technology in the bureaucratic system is expected to reduce the potential for abuse of authority. Digitalization of government administration can increase accountability, so that every policy and use of the budget can be better monitored by the public.
In addition, anti-corruption education is also an important part of the strategy implemented. Public awareness of the dangers of corruption must continue to be increased so that a culture of integrity can grow in all levels of society. Through various education and socialization programs, it is hoped that the public will better understand that corruption not only harms the state, but also has a negative impact on social welfare as a whole. One real example of Prabowo’s anti-corruption policy is the handling of the tin commodity trade case which previously received widespread public attention. The President did not hesitate to mention the case in his public statements, which showed the government’s seriousness in taking action against all forms of corruption without discrimination. This firm stance also serves as a signal to business actors and bureaucrats that corrupt practices will not be tolerated under Prabowo’s administration.