Indonesia & Corruption: a few articles in the past few weeks

[jstar]

After the Bandung Zoo corruption case last year which involved two key administrators -sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2025 for causing IDR 25 billion in state losses- there is a new case but now with the zoo of Surabaya.

Former Surabaya Zoo president director Choirul Anwar was arrested and detained by the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office for an IDR 10.2 billion corruption scheme. He allegedly embezzled animal feed and operational funds for personal use between 2016 and 2024, severely harming animal welfare.

He created fictitious financial reports, cut daily animal food budgets and created fake expense records. The result was neglected, weak and starving animals and poorly maintained facilities.

 

[harryopal1]

Today watched a German documentary about food courier services through much of Europe. The pattern is for the big companies to sub contract to a range of smaller companies which underpay, employees and misuse them in a variety of ways. Many of the underpaid are Indian students, legitimately in various countries and trying to help cover living costs by working as couriers. Where odd strikes have taken place there have been Mafia like tactics used including bashing of protesters. As a German Minister for Labour said, some of these big companies are making big profits but governments have not regulated against sub contractors. There continue to be spectacular cases of corruption in Indonesia but corruption is certainly not unique to this archipelago.

 

[pantaiema]

Today watched a German documentary about food courier services through much of Europe. The pattern is for the big companies to sub contract to a range of smaller companies which underpay, employees and misuse them in a variety of ways. Many of the underpaid are Indian students, legitimately in various countries and trying to help cover living costs by working as couriers. Where odd strikes have taken place there have been Mafia like tactics used including bashing of protesters. As a German Minister for Labour said, some of these big companies are making big profits but governments have not regulated against sub contractors. There continue to be spectacular cases of corruption in Indonesia but corruption is certainly not unique to this archipelago.

Germany's national minimum wage is €12.82 per hour, and it is illegal for employers to pay workers less than this amount. Labour rights are also strongly protected in Germany.

I haven't watched the documentary, but situations like this typically occur when people enter the country illegally and work in the underground economy, or when international students work more hours than their visa permits.

If a company is caught employing someone who is not legally authorised to work, it can face substantial fines and other penalties. In some cases, unscrupulous employers might want to hire illegal immigrants and attempt to offset the risks of being caught by paying them less than they are legally entitled to. It is also worth noting that people working illegally often do not pay income tax, and employers may also evade paying the required social security contributions.

 

[harryopal1]

Germany's national minimum wage is €12.82 per hour, and it is illegal for employers to pay workers less than this amount. Labour rights are also strongly protected in Germany.

I haven't watched the documentary, but situations like this typically occur when people enter the country illegally and work in the underground economy, or when international students work more hours than their visa permits.

If a company is caught employing someone who is not legally authorised to work, it can face substantial fines and other penalties. In some cases, unscrupulous employers might want to hire illegal immigrants and attempt to offset the risks of being caught by paying them less than they are legally entitled to. It is also worth noting that people working illegally often do not pay income tax, and employers may also evade paying the required social security contributions.

Yes, all of that is true but the focus in this documentary was that students were not working illegally but that both students and others were not being paid properly and with consequences for those who did try and stand up for their rights.

 

[pantaiema]

Yes, all of that is true but the focus in this documentary was that students were not working illegally but that both students and others were not being paid properly and with consequences for those who did try and stand up for their rights.

There will always be a few employers who pay below the minimum wage. However, when these cases make the news, it's usually because they are the exception rather than the norm. It's also encouraging to see that workers who have been treated unfairly are taking legal action to enforce their rights.

However, if someone is legally employed and has the right to work, I find it hard to believe that underpaying workers is a widespread practice in a country like Germany, where labour rights are strongly protected and employment laws are strictly enforced.

Would you mind sharing the link to that news article?

 

[harryopal1]

There will always be some employers who pay below the minimum wage. However, when these cases make the news, it's usually because they are the exception rather than the norm. It's also encouraging to see that workers who have been treated unfairly are taking legal action to enforce their rights.

However, if someone is legally employed and has the right to work, I find it hard to believe that underpaying workers is a widespread practice in a country like Germany, where labour rights are strongly protected and employment laws are strictly enforced.

Would you mind sharing the link to that news article?

 

[harryopal1]

There will always be a few employers who pay below the minimum wage. However, when these cases make the news, it's usually because they are the exception rather than the norm. It's also encouraging to see that workers who have been treated unfairly are taking legal action to enforce their rights.

However, if someone is legally employed and has the right to work, I find it hard to believe that underpaying workers is a widespread practice in a country like Germany, where labour rights are strongly protected and employment laws are strictly enforced.

Would you mind sharing the link to that news article?

This was not a news or website story on line. It was a DW television program. I did a search and was able to find a link that should enable you to watch the program.

Delivered! - The Courier Driver Business

In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts.

www.dw.com

 

[pantaiema]

This was not a news or website story on line. It was a DW television program. I did a search and was able to find a link that should enable you to watch the program.

Delivered! - The Courier Driver Business

In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts.

www.dw.com

So what I said previously is proven to be correct.
"There will always be a few employers who pay below the minimum wage. However, when these cases make the news, it's usually because they are the exception rather than the norm." Let alone it happens in the country like Germany.

This is the food, grocery, parcels, courier driver business. This is not a regular job where you get the contract based on the hours. In this industry people are self-employed and they are getting commission per delivery not paid by the hours.

Also this is about sub contracting to third parties where a person like courier Shivani Sharma are getting commission. When he sued Wolt (or Uber Eats) over €3,500 in unpaid wages, the court ruled Wolt was not responsible because her official contract was with a subcontractor named IMOX Investigation reveals that IMOX's is not a regular business. The listed CEO was actually an impoverished, unwitting frontman living in an allotment garden in Poznań, Poland, who had no knowledge of running a German delivery company.

Sub-minimum, illegal wage pay is practically unheard in mainstream German industries, including auto manufacturing, steel industries, tech giants like Siemens, Bosch, SAP, major grocery chains (ALDI, LIDL, Edeka), and pharmacies.

 

[harryopal1]

So what I said previously is proven to be correct.
"There will always be a few employers who pay below the minimum wage. However, when these cases make the news, it's usually because they are the exception rather than the norm." Let alone it happens in the country like Germany.

This is the food, grocery, parcels, courier driver business. This is not a regular job where you get the contract based on the hours. In this industry people are self-employed and they are getting commission per delivery not paid by the hours.

Also this is about sub contracting to third parties where a person like courier Shivani Sharma are getting commission. When he sued Wolt (or Uber Eats) over €3,500 in unpaid wages, the court ruled Wolt was not responsible because her official contract was with a subcontractor named IMOX Investigation reveals that IMOX's is not a regular business. The listed CEO was actually an impoverished, unwitting frontman living in an allotment garden in Poznań, Poland, who had no knowledge of running a German delivery company.

Sub-minimum, illegal wage pay is practically unheard in mainstream German industries, including auto manufacturing, steel industries, tech giants like Siemens, Bosch, SAP, major grocery chains (ALDI, LIDL, Edeka), and pharmacies.

There is a perception that Germany ranks well regarding levels of corruption but it is not corruption free with serious corruption perhaps better managed by those acting illegally as this article suggests.

What lies beneath: Germany’s hidden organized corruption threat

In February 2021, 16 tonnes of cocaine were seized in Hamburg – Europe’s largest cocaine seizure to date. Since then, there have been numerous other seizures at Europe’s third-largest seaport, as the flow of cocaine into Germany continues unabated. But the 2021 case has grabbed the headlines...

globalinitiative.net