Facing the red tape in public services, its reality<\/p>\n
By Christiani S. Tumelap and Stevie Emilia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): \"There's no need to do it yourself, just pay
\nmore and you'll get it fast.\" That's familiar advice anytime one
\nplans to apply for a driver's license or an identity card.<\/p>\n
The advice might be untrue, but it is no secret that one can
\nget both driver's license and identity card processed faster and
\neasier if extra rupiah is attached to the documents.<\/p>\n
\"Once, I got really frustrated when I was told by a
\nsubdistrict official that my identity card would take over a
\nmonth, even though I had all the complete documents,\" said
\nKuntjoro, a marketing executive.<\/p>\n
Just to renew an identity card, one should provide a copy of
\ntheir family registration card, photos, a copy of the expired
\ncard and the Rp 1,000 fee. With all these documents, it should
\nonly take one day to process.<\/p>\n
\"But when I told the official that I badly needed the card and
\ngave him an extra Rp 30,000, he told me I could pick up my card
\nin three days,\" he said. \"It's really amazing.\"<\/p>\n
It's the same story with applying for a driver's license, or
\nSIM as it is called here.<\/p>\n
As soon as one enters the Jakarta license bureau on Jl. Daan
\nMogot in West Jakarta -- designed to limit the operations of
\nbrokers and \"bad\" officers -- applicants are instantly surrounded
\nby touts. All of them raise the same questions: \"Want to get a
\nnew SIM? Want to renew your SIM? Let me help you.\"<\/p>\n
The touts might be annoying, but some people, whose tight work
\nschedule makes it impossible for them to wait for hours to get a
\nlicense, making use of a tout's service may be favorable.<\/p>\n
\"It's impossible to escape from my office for hours just to
\nrenew my driver's licenses. So I regularly used touts, it's
\nfaster than having to line up and follow each procedure,\" said
\nLinawati, a public relations officer.<\/p>\n
Driver's licenses applicants frequently end up paying twice to
\nfive times the official rate of Rp 62,500, which includes Rp
\n52,500 for application forms and Rp 10,000 for insurance.<\/p>\n
\"I don't mind paying ... most people do the same,\" Linawati
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Amid the surge in calls for reform, a tout, who declined to be
\nidentified, said he was sure the police would not kick him out
\njust because of the need to reform public services.<\/p>\n
\"We've been long in the business. If they kick us out of here
\n(the license bureau), we can run our business from home,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"I still have some 'friends' at the license bureau anyway,\" he
\nadded, referring to \"bad officers\" involved in the business.<\/p>\n
Reports claim that most of the extra money gained from
\napplicants is equally distributed among officials in charge of
\ndifferent booths.<\/p>\n
With the help of touts, there is no need for applicants to
\ntake any obligatory tests, including driving tests, or to go
\nthrough the tiresome procedures. All they have to do is simply
\nwait, get their picture taken and wait for their license to be
\nprinted.<\/p>\n
But not all people can afford to pay extra just to obtain
\ntheir drivers' license or identity cards.<\/p>\n
Applicants with little money sometimes have no way of avoiding
\nthe procedures and should also be prepared to be ignored.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that the bureau is equipped with computers. So, it's
\nhard to understand why I have to wait for hours just to get my
\nlicense renewed,\" complained Suhardji, who has queued for over
\nthree hours.<\/p>\n
Not difficult<\/p>\n
Amid all these charges, officials say the procedures to get
\nboth identity cards and drivers' licenses are not as difficult as
\nreported, as long as one is willing to follow procedures and
\ncomplete all the necessary forms.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, many people tend to seek help from a third
\nparty... Or the documents are incomplete or inaccurate... As a
\nresult, the card has to be reprocessed and its completion takes
\nlonger than it should,\" deputy governor of administration affairs
\nAbdul Kahfi said.<\/p>\n
But he admits there is still a need to improve his officials'
\nattitudes and skills.<\/p>\n
\"Supervision of officials in charge of giving services to the
\npublic should be improved. Fees should be adjusted as regulated,\"
\nKahfi said.<\/p>\n
When asked whether it was possible for identity cards to be
\nvalid for more than three years, or to have one for a lifetime,
\nhe said the present situation made it impossible.<\/p>\n
\"People's legal awareness is still low... and it's hard to
\ncontrol people's mobility,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For residents, an identity card is important as legal evidence
\nof one's identity and for security, while the administration
\nneeds to know residents' whereabouts, the size of the local
\npopulation and to raise locally generated revenue.<\/p>\n
Under the present regulation, identity cards have to be
\nrenewed every three years. Only those over 60 years old are
\nissued cards to last the remainder of their lives.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang also pointed
\nout the need for each driver to have his\/her license renewed
\nevery five years.<\/p>\n
\"A driver's license proves that a driver is capable of driving
\nand will not endanger others, or disturb traffic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Licenses, he said, also help officers in investigating
\naccidents.<\/p>\n
But he declined to comment on the misuse of procedures for the
\nprocessing of new driver's license or their renewal by \"bad\"
\nofficers who are after personal profit, or the widespread
\npractice of touts. \"I don't know about that... let Mabes (the
\nnational police headquarters) explain,\" Aritonang said.<\/p>\n
He blamed people's \"super busy\" lifestyles for hampering the
\npolice in providing good services.<\/p>\n
\"People want to process everything fast and even use touts'
\nservices. When they find a problem, they blame it on the police,
\neven though they don't follow procedures themselves,\" Aritonang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Sardjono Jatiman says people have tired of the
\nstate of public services and feel it is time to reform.<\/p>\n
\"People have been waiting long enough for better public
\nservices. But the main question lies with the bureaucrats. Are
\nthey willing to reform public services?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
Many high-ranking officials, he says, are reluctant to become
\nregular people. \"Are there any ministers who apply for their own
\nidentity cards?\"<\/p>\n
People, he says, are willing to follow procedures as long as
\nofficials are consistent in implementing regulations.<\/p>\n
For instance, he says, people are willing to line up in banks
\nbecause of the banks' consistency. \"Banks serve those who come
\nfirst,\" Sardjono said.<\/p>\n
If the city wants to raise money from processing identity
\ncards or driver's licenses, he says he is certain that people
\nwould not mind paying for it as long as \"it's legal and the
\nservice is good.\"<\/p>\n
As public servants, he says, officials should not complicate
\nprocedures. \"But what happens now is that if they can complicate
\nprocedures, why make it simple?\"<\/p>\n
Aside from improving public services, he has also urged the
\ngovernment to improve officials' salaries, to prevent them from
\nabusing their power.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/facing-the-red-tape-in-public-services-its-reality-1447893297",
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