Pre-2011 'Thank You Money' for Certification Was Already Happening, Says Ex-Official

Tempo reports on a deeply troubling revelation within the Ministry of Manpower. Former official Hery Sutanto has testified that the practice of accepting illicit 'thank you money' for Occupational Safety and Health (K3) certifications has been ongoing since 2011. This admission surfaced during a trial where prosecutors probed the non-technical payments associated with the certification process.

Sutanto, who served as Head of the Section for Supervision of Steam Boiler and Pressure Vessel Norms in 2011, stated that the practice was already in place, albeit referred to as 'uang terima kasih' (thank you money) at the time. This suggests a long-standing systemic issue within the ministry, predating current investigations.

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As far as I know, when I first became Head of Section in 2011, it already existed, it was called 'thank you money' back then.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has identified numerous defendants in this case, including former Deputy Minister of Manpower, Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, and other high-ranking officials. Their alleged modus operandi involved deliberately delaying or complicating K3 certification processes unless bribes were paid, inflating the official fee of Rp 275,000 to as much as Rp 6 million.

From Tempo's perspective, this case underscores a critical failure in governance and oversight. The normalization of corruption, even under euphemisms like 'thank you money,' erodes public trust and burdens workers and businesses. While international coverage might focus on the legal proceedings, we emphasize the systemic rot and the impact on the very workers these regulations are meant to protect. The fact that this practice has persisted for over a decade, as testified by Sutanto, is a stark indictment of the accountability mechanisms within the ministry.

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At that time, there was no benchmark.