Deal on new identiy card criticized

Deal on new identiy card criticized

JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor has criticized the Ministry of Home Affairs for its deal with a private company on the fee for identity cards.

The ministry for its deal with PT Solusindo Mitra Sejati to set the fee for a Jakarta identity card at Rp 3,000 each from the current fee of Rp 1,000.

Lukman F. Mokoginta, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party in the city council, said yesterday that the ministry's deal with the company was against regulation 5/1974 on regional administration.

He told reporters the regulation states that the governor and provincial council are authorized to set the fee.

While a clause of the deal between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the company states that the fee will be set by the ministry and private company under the condition that it will not burden the public and will be based on local economy.

"The home affairs ministry should discus further its deal with the private company on the fee for new ID cards with the governor and the city council," he said.

The controversy on the issuance of new ID cards and the fee applied to them started after the home affairs ministry chose PT Solusindo Mitra Sejati to process ID cards nationwide. The deal was signed on Feb, 27, 1993.

The agreement between the ministry and the company was sharply criticized by members of the House of Representatives, who said that arrangements were made without consultation with the House.

Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja earlier said he would guarantee that the price for a new ID card would be low as possible after public outcry on the plan to increase it to Rp 3,000.

Surjadi said last month that the city administration itself was able to issue identity cards and that it was not necessary to award the project to the private sector.

Suryatna Soebrata, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has said that the computerization of identity cards does not imply privatization because the private sector will only provide necessary equipment and training assistance.

Lukman said yesterday that Suryatna's statement was confusing and not good for political education.

He suggested an open forum to discus the matter in order to find the best solution. (32)