Second Year of the Pandemic: 703 Cases of Gratification Reported in a Ministry

According to data from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), throughout 2021 there were 703 cases of gratuities that occurred in ministry institutions. This number is the highest compared to other institutions.

There were 481 cases of gratuities in state-owned enterprises (BUMNs), 430 cases in state institutions/government agencies/others, and 227 cases in provincial governments.

Furthermore, 182 cases of gratuities occurred in district/regency governments, 103 cases in city governments, and 1 case in other institutions.

Based on type, the most common form of gratuities during the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic was money, with 995 cases. This was followed by gratuities in the form of goods and food, with 854 and 38 cases respectively.

According to Article 12B of Law Number 20 of 2001, gratuities are the act of giving money, goods, rebates (discounts), commissions, interest-free loans, travel tickets, accommodation facilities, tours, free medical treatment, and other facilities received using either electronic or manual means.

Gratuities are categorized as illegal acts if given to a civil servant or state official for reasons related to their position and contrary to the recipient's obligations or duties.

Gratuities must be immediately reported to the KPK within a maximum of 30 working days from the date the gratuity was received. In the government bureaucracy, the receipt of perishable or easily damaged goods as gratuities must also be reported.

Types of gratuities that do not need to be reported include:

1. Gifts due to family relationships;
2. Gifts (tokens of appreciation) in the form of money or goods at celebratory events (such as weddings, circumcisions, etc.) with a value of no more than Rp1,000,000.00;
3. Gifts related to disasters with a value of no more than Rp1,000,000.00;
4. Gifts between employees for farewells, retirements, or birthdays, in the form of goods equivalent to a maximum of Rp300,000.00 per gift per person, with a total of Rp1,000,000.00 in one year from the same giver;
5. Gifts between colleagues not in the form of money or not equivalent to money (checks, shares, etc.) with a maximum of Rp200,000.00 per gift per person, with a total of Rp1,000,000.00 in one year from the same giver;
6. Common meals or refreshments;
7. Academic or non-academic achievements participated in using personal funds, such as championships, competitions, etc.;
8. Profits or interest from the placement of funds, investments, or personal share ownership that are common practice;
9. Benefits for all employee cooperative members that are common practice;
10. Common seminar kits;
11. Receipt of awards or allowances in the form of money or goods related to improved work performance in accordance with applicable regulations;
12. Compensation or profession outside of official duties, unrelated to the employee's duties and functions.

(Also read: Gratuities in Public Services Mostly in the Form of Money)