Car numbers hot commodity for some

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Roaming around the city police headquarters's parking lot looking for a friendly face, businessman Budi Darmawan, 40, stopped in front of the traffic police building.

"I came here to change my license plate number to a two-digit number. Hopefully, I can get an 88 number for my car. I just asked the police how much I would have to pay for the number," Budi, a businessman, told The Jakarta Post.

He said he wanted the number because he thought it would bring his business good luck.

Budi is not the only person eager to get a two-digit license plate number, either for luck or prestige.

According to regulations, only high-ranking state officials, including ministers and governors, are meant to receive two-digit license plate numbers.

However, Indonesia Police Watch, a non-governmental organization that monitors the police, says more and more businesspeople are buying two-digit numbers.

The NGO said license plate numbers B92, B90, B80, B79, B99, B88 and B68 had been sold to businesspeople for up to hundreds of millions of rupiah.

Indonesia Police Watch head Neta S. Pane said some police officers were taking advantage of the police's power to issue license plate numbers by selling sought-after numbers to businesspeople for large sums of money, which they then pocketed.

According to regulations, any money generated from issuing license plate numbers should go directly into the state coffers.

Neta said the practice had become a new source for corruption at city police headquarters, especially in the traffic division, which issues the numbers.

Besides two-digit number, officers have sold other "lucky" numbers for much more than the standard price of about Rp 1 million.

For example, license plate numbers such as B888 or B999 could potentially be worth tens of millions of rupiah, while a personalized plate that spells out a name might also cost millions of rupiah.

A senior officer at city police headquarters, who asked not to be identified, said officers in the traffic division had been selling license plate numbers and keeping the money for years.

"There has not been a clear order from the city police chief or the traffic police director to stop the practice. It is just something that every officer takes for granted," the officers said.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono, however, denied officers were selling two-digit license plate numbers or any other numbers above the standard price.

"We never issue two-digit numbers to ordinary citizens because the numbers are only for high-ranking state officials. As far as I know, car owners pay a standard price for any number," he told the Post.