Burial agency under fire over levies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has ordered city Chief
\nInspector Hendarmin Ono Saleh to investigate alleged illegal
\npayments being levied at the city's cemeteries.<\/p>\n
\"I have instructed Inspector Hendarmin to immediately question
\nthe Burial Agency head Hariono Seno about the reported
\nirregularities,\" Sutiyoso said late last week.<\/p>\n
He said it would be outrageous if the accusations -- that
\nofficials from the Burial Agency were asking for illegal levies
\nfrom mourning families -- turned out to be true.<\/p>\n
Several residents and city councillors have recently made
\nformal complaints about the agency's employees, saying they were
\nasked by them to pay between Rp 500,000 and Rp 800,000 for a
\nburial site.<\/p>\n
Their actions could well be prosecutable offenses since the
\nhighest official price for the most popular plots at cemeteries
\nin and around the capital is only Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
Less popular plots are free of charge.<\/p>\n
Councillor Budi Gatot Setiabudi from the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) wanted to bury his mother in
\nBudi Dharma cemetery in Semper, North Jakarta. He has officially
\ncomplained that he was asked by officials at the cemetery to pay
\nRp 1.5 million.<\/p>\n
\"But officials could not give details of their expenses to
\nme,\" Budi said recently.<\/p>\n
The Burial Agency currently manages 101 cemeteries covering
\nsome 556 hectares in the Greater Jakarta area.<\/p>\n
Nanang from Ciputat, South Jakarta, said officials at Tanah
\nKusir cemetery asked him for Rp 800,000 for a burial plot at the
\nrear of the graveyard.<\/p>\n
\"The officials also refused to give me receipt, saying that it
\nwas a common practice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Endang from Condet, East Jakarta, agreed to pay Rp 800,000 to
\nemployees at Kawi-kawi Sentiong cemetery, Central Jakarta, for a
\nplot to bury her mother.<\/p>\n
\"My mother's grave is near a garbage dump at the rear of the
\ncemetery. Still, I had to pay that much,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Chief Hendarmin from the City Inspectorate said his office had
\nalready started an investigation.<\/p>\n
\"But we don't have the results yet,\" he said. (nvn)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/burial-agency-under-fire-over-levies-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }