Administration to review its security incentives

Administration to review its security incentives

JAKARTA (JP): In a move to improve security in the capital,
Governor Sutiyoso hinted on Wednesday he would review the
incentives currently given to the police and military.

He said the city administration currently allocated one
percent of its revenue from vehicle tax (PKB) and vehicle
ownership transfer tax (BBNKB) each year to the headquarters of
the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the city police.

"Military headquarters receives 0.65 percent, while the city
police get the remaining 0.35 percent.

"We will review the incentive for TNI headquarters as both
taxes are regional ones. The money will then be transferred to
the city military command," Sutiyoso said at City Hall.

"With the new scheme, the city police will get a larger share
than the military, but we have yet to decide on the proportion,"
he said, before demanding both institutions take their security
responsibilities in the city seriously.

In the 1999/2000 fiscal year, both taxes contributed more than
Rp 913 billion (US$1.1 billion) to the city's revenue, Rp 5.935
billion of which went to the military headquarters. The remaining
Rp 3.195 billion went to the city police.

The incentive for the city police was regulated by a 1994
gubernatorial decree. Previously, all the money had been given to
the then Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) headquarters, a practice
it had enjoyed since 1978.

The incentive was initially regulated in a joint decree by the
defense and home affairs ministries on the establishment of a
one-roof integrated vehicle administration system (Samsat).

Sutiyoso said he was surprised to learn that the city police
received additional annual funds from the city budget of Rp 900
million.

Earlier last month, city police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi asked
city councillors for a larger contribution to cover police
tactical and operational budgets.

Nurfaizi claimed that the city police should receive more than
Rp 6 billion everyday from both taxes.

Data at the city revenue agency shows, however, that following
the deregulation on completely built up (CBU) imported cars, this
figure of Rp 6 billion was only reached on five days of the
1999/2000 fiscal year. The average revenue is only about Rp 2
billion to Rp 3 billion each day.

Accountability

Meanwhile, city councillors questioned the accountability of
such contributions to the security authorities, especially the
city police, as they were always complaining of their budget.

"The city police have already received funds from the central
government. They should ask the central government for more
funds, not the city administration," Posman Siahaan of the
Justice and Unity Party (PKP) faction told The Jakarta Post.

"Ironically, the police has never been sincere on how they
spend the city-sponsored funds or their own budget. How can they
say they need more money?" he asked, while citing that he had
urged the council to summon the city police chief.

Separately, Nurfaizi said none of the annual Rp 900 million
contribution had been corrupted.

"All expenditure by city police can be accounted for," the
two-star general said after a meeting with officials from the US
Embassy at the city police's headquarters on Wednesday.

Nurfaizi said the city police had always been transparent in
all matters, including its expenditure.

"All expenditure can be found in our bookkeeping forms," he
said, without giving details on which activities the funds were
used to finance.

Acting city police spokesman Maj. Alex Mandalika also failed
to give any details on the way the city's contribution was spent.

"You should ask the city traffic police chief Col. Nyoman
Sukesna for a detailed breakdown of the city's contribution," he
said over the phone.

"I don't know for sure on where funds have been allocated to.
I will have to ask the assistant to the city police chief for
general planning," he added. (asa/nvn)