Car numbers hot commodity for some<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Roaming around the city police headquarters's parking lot looking
\nfor a friendly face, businessman Budi Darmawan, 40, stopped in
\nfront of the traffic police building.<\/p>\n
\"I came here to change my license plate number to a two-digit
\nnumber. Hopefully, I can get an 88 number for my car. I just
\nasked the police how much I would have to pay for the number,\"
\nBudi, a businessman, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said he wanted the number because he thought it would bring
\nhis business good luck.<\/p>\n
Budi is not the only person eager to get a two-digit license
\nplate number, either for luck or prestige.<\/p>\n
According to regulations, only high-ranking state officials,
\nincluding ministers and governors, are meant to receive two-digit
\nlicense plate numbers.<\/p>\n
However, Indonesia Police Watch, a non-governmental
\norganization that monitors the police, says more and more
\nbusinesspeople are buying two-digit numbers.<\/p>\n
The NGO said license plate numbers B92, B90, B80, B79, B99,
\nB88 and B68 had been sold to businesspeople for up to hundreds of
\nmillions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
Indonesia Police Watch head Neta S. Pane said some police
\nofficers were taking advantage of the police's power to issue
\nlicense plate numbers by selling sought-after numbers to
\nbusinesspeople for large sums of money, which they then pocketed.<\/p>\n
According to regulations, any money generated from issuing
\nlicense plate numbers should go directly into the state coffers.<\/p>\n
Neta said the practice had become a new source for corruption
\nat city police headquarters, especially in the traffic division,
\nwhich issues the numbers.<\/p>\n
Besides two-digit number, officers have sold other \"lucky\"
\nnumbers for much more than the standard price of about Rp 1
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
For example, license plate numbers such as B888 or B999 could
\npotentially be worth tens of millions of rupiah, while a
\npersonalized plate that spells out a name might also cost
\nmillions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
A senior officer at city police headquarters, who asked not to
\nbe identified, said officers in the traffic division had been
\nselling license plate numbers and keeping the money for years.<\/p>\n
\"There has not been a clear order from the city police chief
\nor the traffic police director to stop the practice. It is just
\nsomething that every officer takes for granted,\" the officers
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono, however, denied
\nofficers were selling two-digit license plate numbers or any
\nother numbers above the standard price.<\/p>\n
\"We never issue two-digit numbers to ordinary citizens because
\nthe numbers are only for high-ranking state officials. As far as
\nI know, car owners pay a standard price for any number,\" he told
\nthe Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/car-numbers-hot-commodity-for-some-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}