Indonesian president vows to tackle corruption, protect forests

Jakarta: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Friday reaffirmed his strong commitment to combat corruption and safeguard forests across the countr...

Jakarta: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Friday reaffirmed his strong commitment to combat corruption and safeguard forests across the country.

Delivering his state speech ahead of the nation's 80th Independence Day anniversary on Aug. 17 in Jakarta, Prabowo emphasized his constitutional duty to eradicate graft and abuse within all branches of the government.

"I was sworn in to uphold the mandate of the Constitution of our Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, I have no choice but to lead efforts to combat graft and abuse in all executive and government institutions," he said, noting that corruption remains the nation's biggest challenge.

Corrupt practices can be found at every level of bureaucracy, within all government institutions and organizations, as well as in state-owned and regionally-owned enterprises, he said.

"As the president of Indonesia, I have a responsibility to uphold the law for the safety of the nation. We are currently facing the reality of a massive leak of our nation's wealth," Prabowo stressed, adding that his administration must focus on finding swift and effective solutions to the fundamental problem.