No-gift policy hits parcel business hard<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Parcel vendors who for years enjoyed a thriving business are
\nfeeling the heat of a new political reality that frowns on the
\ngiving and receiving of holiday gifts.<\/p>\n
Dozens of parcel vendors from Greater Jakarta staged a protest
\non Tuesday at the House of Representatives and the office of the
\nCorruption Eradication Commission (KPK), to demand that the KPK
\nretract an earlier statement calling for state officials to treat
\nholiday gifts as bribes.<\/p>\n
\"That statement has killed our business,\" said Boil, who runs
\na parcel business on Jl. Haji Samali in Pasar Minggu, South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
He said that in past years his shop had sold 40 percent of its
\nprepared parcels 10 days before Idul Fitri, which this year falls
\non Nov. 14. \"So far this year we have not sold a single parcel.\"<\/p>\n
In response to the vendors' demand, a group of House
\nlegislators said they would ask the KPK to soften its stance on
\nholiday gifts.<\/p>\n
\"We will do our best to help find a solution to the problem
\nfacing these vendors, hopefully within 24 hours,\" said Khofifah
\nIndar Parawansa, a member of House Commission VI for industry and
\ntrade.<\/p>\n
KPK chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas last week asked
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who during the election
\ncampaign portrayed himself as the anticorruption candidate, to
\nprohibit state officials from receiving gifts in connection with
\ntheir positions.<\/p>\n
He said those officials who had already accepted Idul Fitri
\ngifts should donate them to the needy.<\/p>\n
Gift parcels also are given at Christmas and other major
\nholidays, usually by subordinates to their superiors, a custom
\nthat can be traced back to the kingdom era of the country when
\nvassals paid tribute to their king in return for certain
\nprivileges.<\/p>\n
Another parcel vendor, Oding, said his shop had a customer
\nfrom a state enterprise cancel an order for about 1,000 packages.<\/p>\n
The vendors said customers from banks, private companies and
\nstate enterprises were the backbone of their business, comprising
\nas much as 60 percent of total orders.<\/p>\n
The traders said they had already invested from Rp 30 million
\n(US$3,260) up to billions of rupiah to prepare their Idul Fitri
\nparcels.<\/p>\n
Gift packages containing food sell for about Rp 500,000, while
\nparcels containing ceramic or glassware can cost up to Rp 6
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
There does seem to be one positive outcome of this new
\naversion to gift parcels: It has brought together for the first
\ntime vendors from Cikini and Manggarai in Central Jakarta, and
\nTebet, Cilandak, Pondok Indah and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Because of this we now know each other. We will form an
\nassociation next year,\" one of the vendors, Irwan, said.
\nPhoto on Page 8<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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