Apparatus to face firm sanctions for online gambling: Papua govt

Jayapura (ANTARA) – The Provincial Government of Papua has warned civil servants in the province against being involved in online gambling, threatening them with severe sanctions, including dismissal.

“The sanctions might take the form of dismissal, considering that a practice of online gambling could lead to corruption and harm the country,” Danny Korwa, a special supporting inspector from the Inspectorate of Papua Province, remarked in Jayapura on Sunday.

To that end, he appealed to people to take part in the eradication of online gambling by filing a report when they find civil servants that are involved in such a practice, which is considered a crime in Indonesia.

The official added that his side had yet to receive any reports about civil servants suspected of being involved in online gambling.

Nevertheless, Korwa stated that the provincial government would intensify dissemination of the dangers presented by online gambling to regional heads, leaders of local institutions, and civil servants in Papua Province.

“Online gambling is very dangerous since it can disrupt administrations and adversely affect families, children, and the gamblers themselves. Hence, we would like to appeal to all civil servants to refrain from gambling,” he remarked.

At the national level, the Indonesian government has taken various measures against the increased popularity of online gambling, including establishing the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force chaired by Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Hadi Tjahjanto.

On June 19, Tjahjanto affirmed that the government would freeze banking accounts linked to online gambling and hand over their funds to the state.

Earlier, on June 15, Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi revealed that the government had managed to block nearly three million pieces of online gambling content within a year.

“We have taken down 2,945,150 pieces of online gambling content from July 17, 2023, to June 13, 2024,” the minister noted in a statement from his office.

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