Politik, Patronase dan Pengadaan

The government and international institutions encourage to use electronic procurement as a strategy to curb corruption. However, based on the contemporary corruption case in Indonesia, reform in public procurement is unable to stop corruption. Instead of curbed, corruption transforms into a new form that adherence to the reformed regulation in public procurement. Examining the corruption case in the construction of athlete housing and investigating the historical aspect of public procurement in Indonesia, I argue that the fundamental problem lies in the political patronage as the main strategy of political leaders to build and to maintain their social base. Reform in public procurement, as well as anti-corruption measures, are insufficient to address the problem.