DIRECTOR GENERAL: ASN BIMAS KRISTEN MUST PREVENT GRATIFICATION AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC SERVICES

Jakarta (DBK): The role of the Directorate General of Christian Community Guidance as salt and light in the midst of the people is to provide public services that meet the principles of professionalism, openness, accountability, speed, ease, and affordability. This was conveyed by the Director General of Christian Community Guidance, Jeane Marie Tulung, when opening the socialization of gratuities and service users of the 2024 Directorate General of Christian Guidance in Jakarta on Monday, March 18, 2024. Based on data released by the International Transparency Agency (International Transparency) in 2023 on the Corruption Perception Index (GPA), Indonesia obtained a score or value of 34 on a scale of 100 and was in position 115 out of 180 countries. “This is not a good sign; there is still a lot of homework to be done related to the eradication of corruption,” said the director general. What does corruption have to do with gratification? The director general said that gratification is a gift in various forms related to work, positions, or tasks with specific purposes and objectives. "Even gratuities are seen as the root of corrupt behavior, because giving gratuities has the potential to have a veiled purpose to attract attention, cultivate kindness or sympathy that can encourage someone to act unbiased or professionally; in other words, make blind eyes and twist the case of the right person,” explained the Director General, quoting Bible verses, Exodus 23:8.

For this reason, the director general added, responding to the practice of gratuities that often occur in governance and public services, the Minister of Religious Affairs has stipulated regulation of the Minister of Religious Affairs (PMA) number 23 of 2021 concerning the control of gratuities at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. In addition, gratification control units (UPG) were also established in each work unit and technical implementation unit. Through the socialization of gratuities and service users of the Directorate General of Christian Guidance in 2024, the Director General hopes that a comprehensive awareness and understanding of gratuities will emerge in every ASN of the Directorate General of Central and Regional Christian Guidance and all existing stakeholders. "We have taken a role and a small step towards a bigger step in the future,” concluded the director general.