Finally, the dead may rest in peace
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It may be of small comfort to those who have just lost a loved one, but the Jakarta administration's plan to abolish rental fees for grave spaces and subsidize burials outside the city will at least decrease their financial burden.
"The decision (to scrap rental fees and provide a burial subsidy) is almost final. The team of councillors that has been assigned to formulate the final draft bylaw on city fees has come to a conclusion," team member Agus Darmawan of the National Mandate Party said at the City Council.
As there is limited space for public cemeteries in the city, Agus added that the administration would also provide subsidies for those who wanted to bury their deceased loved ones out of town.
"The subsidy has also been included in the 2005 city budget," he said.
However, a detailed rundown of the allocated funds was not made available on Tuesday.
Seven council factions are expected to deliver on Thursday their final statements on the issue.
Agus, however, said that the administration would still charge rent for prominent spaces in city cemeteries.
Rates vary from cemetery to cemetery and usually depend on the distance of the plot's location from the street.
Prevailing City Bylaw No. 3/1999 rules that Jakarta residents are only subject to a fee of between Rp 4,000 and Rp 100,000 for a three-year period based on the location of the grave.
The relatives of the deceased are required to renew the lease after three years, "but they are not charged a renewal fee," Agus added.
Late renewal could mean that another body is buried in the plot.
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said he had come to the decision to scrap the fees due to public complaints, as well as allegations that city officials had embezzled funds from the rent.
"The income is not that significant but is often criticized," Sutiyoso said.
Jakarta has a total of 95 public cemeteries.
The Jakarta Cemetery Management Office says that between 8,000 and 10,000 Jakarta residents die every day.
Last year, the administration allocated Rp 27.3 billion to cover the burial fees of city residents.
"Every Jakartan is entitled to receive Rp 150,000 to finance their burial," Agus said.
However, it seems that residents are not well-informed of their rights.
"I don't know about the burial allocation from the administration," said Selby, 60, a resident of Rawabunga, East Jakarta.
He grumbled that he had to pay Rp 2.5 million two years ago to arrange for the burial of his deceased mother in Petamburan public cemetery in Central Jakarta.
City residents often complain of vacant plots being so difficult to secure that bribing cemetery staff is the only option if they want to bury their dead relatives.