Edition 3: Trade Ministry Caught in Corruption Case Regarding Funding for Small Businesses
Trade Ministry Caught in Corruption Case Regarding Funding for Small Businesses
Source: Michael Cahyadi / WIUI
On Wednesday June 8th 2022, the Indonesian Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) said that they are pursuing a case alleging that the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) has siphoned government funds from a free food cart distribution program for Micro Small Medium Enterprises (UMKM).
The program was intended to help hawkers, who usually sell foods and other goods on sidewalks, to transition to mobile food stalls. The Ministry planned to use the program to improve the cleanliness of small food stalls and also to steer them from pedestrian sidewalks.
The reports initially came from a number of people who registered for the program in 2018, but had yet to receive the food carts from the Ministry of Trade.
Around 7,200 carts were planned to be distributed in 2018, and an additional 3,750 carts in 2019. The program had cost the government over Rp 76 billion (US$5.2 million).
According to the Bareskrim Corruption Crime Director Cahyono Wibowo, the distribution for both years may not have been done by the winning contractor, but rather through other contractors.
In addition, he mentioned that there are alleged inconsistencies in the number of food carts being received and in the quality control done on the inventory.
Bareskrim officials also said that the pricing of the food carts and the recipients list were allegedly marked up. The agency claimed that several individuals are under investigation and that the identities of those individuals will be announced soon.
If found guilty, the perpetrators can be charged under Article 2 or 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption and Section 55 of the Indonesian Criminal Code.
What Is Up, Indonesia?
🌎 Politics + International Relations
Navy Officers Asked for $375,000 to Release Oil Tanker : Reuters reports that Indonesian naval officers asked for an unauthorized payment of $375,000 to release the Nord Joy, a Panamanian flagged Oil Tanker that was accused of anchoring illegally in Indonesian waters.
Civil Groups Raise Concern over Active Policeman's Komnas HAM Candidacy : Concern over potential conflicts of interest have resurfaced after the selection committee for the next Commissioners of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has approved an active police officer as a candidate.
🌳 Science + Environment
Draft Indonesia Renewables Bill Proposes Coal-based Fuels as 'new energy': Controversy brews as an Indonesian bill aimed at promoting renewables prominently features the development of coal-based energy.
📈 Economics + Business
CEO of Gojek to Quit to Focus on ESG and Web3 : The CEO of Gojek and Director of GoTo, Kevin Aluwi, will step down from executive roles and transition to the company’s Board of Commissioners as he plans to focus more on the company’s environmental goals and crypto-related ventures.
Indonesia to Cut Maximum Palm Oil Export Tax and Levy: Indonesia will cut the maximum export tax and levy in a bid to increase exports after banning them just last month due to domestic cooking oil shortages.
🏛️ Social + Culture
Ridwan Kamil’s Son Found Dead in Aare River: Emmeril Khan Mumtadz, the eldest son of the West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, was found dead after taking a swim in the Aaree River with his sister and friends. His body has been repatriated to Indonesia.
Indonesia Halts Plans to Raise Borobudur Admissions Price After Backlash: The Indonesian Government’s plan to increase the ticket prices for Borobudur Temple was delayed due to intense public backlash. The move was made to limit the amount of visitors able to enter the site to preserve the temple’s structure.
What We're Reading
Indonesia’s Obsession with Ideology: The Case of the Pancasila Bill
“Indonesia’s experience under two authoritarian regimes, and more recently under Jokowi, has shown that the highly abstract nature of Pancasila means it is very prone to being abused by those with undemocratic agendas.” - Abdurrachman Satrio (Padjadjaran University), Indonesia at Melbourne
Rich Nations May Fork Out Billions to Wean Indonesia Off Coal
“Indonesia has the theoretical potential to meet the entire world’s electricity demand from renewables…but it has fewer solar panels than Norway and has barely begun to tap abundant wind and geothermal resources.” - Phillip Heijmans and Dan Murtaugh, Bloomberg
WIUI Recommends
Why 4:54 is the perfect speedrun - Super Mario Bros. World Record Speedrun Explained
A deep analysis into the mechanics and techniques behind the world record for the Super Mario Bros Speedrun. One of the cult leaders is learning game development—which involved recreating this game—and got into this rabbit hole.
The Owl House by Dana Terrace (Disney Channel)
A heartwarming coming of age story filled with lovable characters that has made one of the cult leaders go into intense brain rot for the past several weeks (lol). The show is more lore focused in a similar style to Alex Hirsch’s Gravity Falls, and to me it pushes what cartoons can bring to the table in terms of worldbuilding, character writing, and queer representation in media.
Pen Pal
Q: Hi okay so im 20F, i'm currently interning at a tech company (one of the biggest in indonesia if you might say), and i've been here for almost 5 months now. But during this past few months, i felt like there's something that i can do so much more…Like i never felt satisfied just doing things that people told me to do, i feel like i can do so much more and i feel like i wasn't becoming a better version of myself.
I actually don't know what advice i need but i kinda just need a reassurance or anyone with a similar situation so that i can stop thinking that i might be crazy😂😂
A: I’ve talked to senior software engineers with 10+ years experience who have left big tech because the job was boring. You’re in the early stages of your career so don’t be scared that you’re not doing enough, you still have a lot of time to learn and grow.
Interning at big tech certainly will make job searching easier for you in the future. If you’re thirsty for more challenges, you should try doing startups who are in their Seed or Series A funding rounds because they tend to let interns be more involved in the company. Best of luck!!!
Q: MUST-TRY Indomie flavor?(16F)
A: The defaults like mie goreng or kuah soto will always have a place in my heart. But the real meat series of indomie and that weird mie goreng bolognese thing are my non-mainstream picks.
Communicate with us!
We here at WIUI LOVE connecting to our community. The pen pal section is a way for you guys to communicate with us, and for us to communicate with you!
Tell us your hot take, give us recommendations, ask us questions about sociopolitics, or request advice about your love life here. We also welcome feedback!
Join our community!
Website | Instagram | Discord | Tip Jar
Disclaimer: We are not professionals. We are prone to bias and error so please verify and double-check everything! We highly encourage you to do your own research.