City proposes bills to increase revenue

City proposes bills to increase revenue

JAKARTA (JP): The administration has proposed two draft bills
to the City Council to replace provincial decree No. 9/1985 on
fees of various services provided by its agencies and decrees on
the city label fee, a councilor said.

The deputy chairman of the City Council's Commission C for
financial affairs, Amarullah Asbah, said yesterday that the bills
are being reviewed by the commission.

Amarullah said the main purposes of the new decrees are to
increase city revenue as well as cope with public demand for
quick services.

Amarullah said the bill on the city's label fee stipulates
that the public must pay Rp 5,000 (US$2.17) for a label, an
increase from Rp 500.

The label is issued by the city administration on services
which have not yet been regulated by provincial decree.

Such a label is affixed to, among other things, birth
certificates.

He said the administration also plans to increase fees for
those requiring services for city planning, mapping, public
works, underground utility system, street lights, parks and data
processing services. The new fees are up to 500 percent higher
than the current ones.

Amarullah said services for the city utility system and street
lights are new.

He said currently, the city utility system is stipulated by a
gubernatorial decree which is not enough to manage projects
conducted by private or state-owned companies.

"The service is aimed at controlling and synchronizing
excavation projects in the city," he said.

It is widely known that excavation projects in the city are
not well-organized and in some areas have caused traffic jams and
polluted streets, he said.

Amarullah also said the decision to create a new service in
providing street lights was made because of public demands. Many
people have been asking the administration to supply street
lights in their neighborhoods, he said.

However, the city administration cannot fulfill their demands
because most of the areas are not yet included in the city's
street light program, he said.

When asked if such a regulation could cause delays in the city
administration's street light program in certain areas, Amarullah
said the public must believe in the city administration.

"Don't think that way. The service is aimed at helping the
public," he said. (yns)