Free IDs not official yet

PURWAKARTA, West Java: The administration here has launched an intensive program to urge more than 120,000 residents process their identification cards (ID's), but have yet to decide whether the document will be issued free of charge.

"The administration is worried that if we make it free, we could be charged of (money politics) like in other areas," given the polls slated in June, Setiawan Udi told Antara on Monday.

But if the residents were to pay the cost of Rp 1,000 (12 US cents), the administration would still face the problem of the prohibitive cost of the ID for many people, Setiawan added.

Officials have been urged to make ID's free in the run-up to elections, which require that voters have ID's.

Residents would also be burdened with the cost for ID photographs.

Residents from a number of subdistricts in Purwakarta said they paid at least Rp 7,500 for each ID, excluding the photograph costs.

Residents said the official cost was fixed at Rp 1,000, but in reality local officials would ask for at least Rp 5,000, citing processing costs.

The program is scheduled to finish by the end of the month.