The Trade Gatekeeper and the Fragility of State Integrity

 By Kusnandar & Co.,  Attorneys At Law – Jakarta, Indonesia

 

The arrest of Budiman Bayu Prasojo by the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) at the headquarters of the Direktorat Jenderal Bea dan Cukai is not merely another law-enforcement headline. It is a stark reminder of a deeper irony within state governance: the very institution entrusted with guarding the nation’s trade flows and securing state revenue is once again entangled in allegations of corruption. This episode does more than expose an individual—it highlights structural vulnerabilities that continue to haunt strategic public institutions.

Customs and Excise occupies a critical position in Indonesia’s economic architecture. It regulates imports and exports, safeguards tariff compliance, and protects domestic markets from illicit goods. When officials within such an institution are suspected of bribery or illicit gratification, the damage extends far beyond personal misconduct. State revenues may erode, compliant businesses suffer unfair competition, and illegal goods gain privileged access. In this context, corruption is not a mere administrative offense; it is an assault on economic justice and national credibility.

The fact that the arrest reportedly took place at the central office sends a strong symbolic message: no institutional space should be immune from accountability. Yet symbolism alone cannot substitute for systemic reform. The recurring emergence of corruption cases within the same sector raises a pressing question—why do such practices persist despite repeated enforcement actions? If internal controls were sufficiently robust and compliance systems genuinely effective, irregularities should be detected long before they escalate into criminal investigations. The repetition of scandals suggests that structural loopholes remain open.

The core problem lies not solely with individuals but with the ecosystem of authority in which they operate. Customs administration inherently involves discretion—valuation decisions, inspection prioritization, and clearance approvals. Without rigorous transparency and comprehensive digitalization, such discretion can evolve into negotiation space. Where manual processes and face-to-face interactions dominate, opportunities for illicit arrangements inevitably arise. Bureaucratic reform must therefore move beyond integrity slogans and toward systemic redesign that narrows the margin for abuse.

It is tempting to interpret each high-profile arrest as proof that anti-corruption efforts are working. To an extent, this is true. Enforcement matters. However, genuine success is not measured by the number of officials detained but by the shrinking probability of corruption itself. If similar patterns continue to surface within the same institution, the focus must shift from individual culpability to organizational culture and oversight architecture.

The KPK is fulfilling its reactive mandate—investigating, prosecuting, and deterring misconduct. Yet reactive enforcement, by definition, operates after harm has occurred. The next challenge lies with policymakers and institutional leaders to ensure that preventive mechanisms become more powerful than punitive ones. Without comprehensive reform—strengthened internal audits, data-driven risk management, transparent clearance systems, and uncompromising accountability—the public will merely witness a cycle of scandal, arrest, reform rhetoric, and renewed scandal.

This case should serve as a moment of reflection rather than fleeting spectacle. Public trust in state institutions is built not on declarations but on consistent integrity. When corruption allegations repeatedly strike agencies at the heart of national economic governance, what erodes is not only personal reputation but institutional legitimacy. Indonesia does not lack regulations; it requires the political and administrative courage to reduce discretionary opacity and fortify systemic safeguards until corruption becomes not merely risky, but structurally improbable.

Otherwise, each arrest will remain just another chapter in a recurring narrative—dramatic, necessary, yet fundamentally incomplete.

By : K&Co - February 27, 2026