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)