'Facilitating' payments?

As a concerned expatriate I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the Indonesian practice of having to make "facilitating payments" -- a fancy word for bribery.

This unpleasant practice is prevalent within nearly all branches of the government, as well as in the private sector.

Recently I was compelled to make a "facilitating payment" to the local police department, even though I was not guilty of any crime. It was a "pay or go to jail" situation. Of course I paid.

To obtain an expatriate work permit "facilitating payments" are required to not one but several branches of government concerned with the issuance of the work permit. I can appreciate that fees are required to process the necessary paperwork to obtain the work permit but to pay the additional "facilitating payment" is outrageous.

The practice of paying these "facilitating payments" should be investigated and the guilty parties punished. I understand this practice is unlawful; however, the practice continues.

MACOM HAWKINS

Pekanbaru