Indonesia tightens gift rules for public officials under new anti-corruption regulation in 2026
Indonesia’s anti-corruption watchdog has revised its gratification rules, raising gift thresholds, removing some exemptions, and clarifying late reporting consequences to strengthen integrity among public officials.
- Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission has revised gratification reporting rules through Regulation Number 1 of 2026.
- Thresholds for non-reportable gifts have been adjusted, while some exemptions have been removed.
- Late reporting may now result in gifts being designated as state property, without altering criminal law provisions.
Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, KPK) has introduced significant amendments to its regulations on gratification, tightening oversight of gifts received by civil servants and state officials while seeking to reduce ambiguity in reporting obligations.
The changes are set out in KPK Regulation Number 1 of 2026, which revises the previous KPK Regulation Number 2 of 2019 on the Reporting of Gratification.
Details of the amendments were announced publicly through the KPK’s official Instagram account, @official.kpk, and were confirmed by Indonesian media on Wednesday, 28 January 2026.
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The revised regulation introduces five key changes, ranging from adjustments to the value thresholds of gifts that do not require reporting, to clearer consequences for late reporting.
The KPK says the amendments are intended to make the rules easier to understand and apply, while reinforcing a culture of integrity within the state apparatus.
Adjusted thresholds for “reasonable” gifts
One of the most notable changes concerns the so-called “reasonable value threshold” for gifts that are not required to be reported to the KPK.
For wedding gifts and those given during traditional or religious ceremonies, the non-reportable threshold has been raised from Rp1,000,000 (approximately US$65) per giver to Rp1,500,000 (around US$95) per giver.
The KPK said the adjustment reflects changes in social and economic conditions since the previous thresholds were set, based on surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019.
For gifts exchanged between colleagues that are not in the form of cash, the threshold has also increased. Previously capped at Rp200,000 (about US$13) per giver, with an annual maximum of Rp1,000,000, the new regulation allows gifts of up to Rp500,000 (around US$32) per giver, with a total annual cap of Rp1,500,000.
However, a separate provision covering gifts between colleagues for farewell events, retirements, or birthdays has been removed entirely.
Under the previous regulation, such gifts were permitted up to Rp300,000 (approximately US$19) per giver without reporting.
The removal of this category signals a stricter stance, potentially requiring such gifts to be reported regardless of value, depending on circumstances.
Late reporting and state ownership
Another key amendment addresses gratification reports submitted more than 30 working days after a gift is received. Under the revised regulation, gratification reported beyond this deadline may be designated as state property.
Despite this administrative consequence, the KPK has emphasised that the substantive criminal provisions of Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law remain unchanged.
Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, continues to apply.
Under Article 12B, any gratification received by a civil servant or state official is deemed a bribe if it is related to their position and contrary to their duties.
If the value of the gratification is Rp10,000,000 or more (approximately US$630), the burden of proof lies with the recipient to show that it does not constitute a bribe. If the value is below Rp10,000,000, the burden rests with the public prosecutor.
Convictions under this provision carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment or a prison term of between four and 20 years, as well as fines ranging from Rp200,000,000 to Rp1,000,000,000 (roughly US$12,600 to US$63,000).
Simplifying procedures and reducing ambiguity
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the regulatory revision was designed to simplify the mechanisms for reporting and handling gratification, while reducing differing interpretations among civil servants and state officials.
“The KPK wants to encourage state officials not to become accustomed to receiving gifts for personal interests, even under the pretext of social or community occasions,” Budi said in a written statement on Wednesday.
He explained that many gratification reports submitted to the KPK in recent years have concerned items that did not, in fact, require reporting. This, according to the commission, highlighted the need for clearer and more accessible wording in the regulation.
To address this, the KPK revised the narrative of Article 2 paragraph (3), which lists types of gratification that are exempt from reporting.
The aim is to ensure that officials can more easily distinguish between reportable and non-reportable gifts, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens.
Handling unprocessable reports
The amended regulation also accommodates situations in which gratification reports cannot be followed up.
According to the KPK, there have been numerous reports that could not proceed because they did not meet the legal elements of the criminal offence of gratification, were formally flawed, or involved objects with no economic value.
These circumstances are now explicitly addressed in the revised Article 14, providing a clearer legal basis for the KPK’s handling of such cases.
In addition, the commission has revised the mechanism for signing decision letters under Article 19. Previously, the authority to sign decisions was determined by the value of the gratification involved.
Under the new system, authority is instead aligned with the position level of the reporting official. The KPK says this approach is more flexible and better reflects internal institutional hierarchies.
Anti-corruption context
The regulatory changes come against the backdrop of Indonesia’s continuing struggle with corruption.
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024, released in early 2025, Indonesia ranked 99th out of 180 countries, with a score of 37 out of 100.
A score below 50 indicates serious corruption problems.
Globally, Indonesia’s ranking places it alongside countries such as Argentina, Morocco, and Ethiopia.
Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia is ranked as the sixth most corrupt country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), trailing neighbours such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, despite some improvement compared with previous years.
Fostering a culture of integrity
Through Regulation Number 1 of 2026, the KPK says it hopes to make the gratification reporting system more effective and comprehensible, while discouraging a permissive culture around gift-giving to public officials.
