'I paid a bribe to get my free ID'

A survey of 1,305 businesses and top managers of local and multinational firms here named Jakarta as the most corrupt city in the country. The survey was conducted last year by Transparency International Indonesia at a time when the city administration was making much-publicize noises about turning Jakarta into a "service city". The Jakarta Post asked residents to relate some of their experiences when dealing with government officials.

Abdullah, not his real name, 22, is an administrator at an Islamic school. He lives in Bogor, West Java:

I'm not surprised by the survey. I'm sure that at the ASEAN level, Jakarta would also be the most corrupt city. After all, Indonesia is the world's fifth most corrupt nation and Jakarta is where all the money is here.

The problem is the bureaucratic system. It is full of loopholes that officials can easily exploit.

Case in point, the school I work at routinely writes proposals to various government ministries.

When I submit a proposal, brokers, who claim to guarantee the proposal's approval, approach me and ask for cut of between 15 percent and 20 percent of the total budget.

Unfortunately, from what I know, this is the only way to get a proposal approved. Hence, I have to go along with it.

It is the corrupt bureaucracy that makes Jakarta so corrupt. Get rid of them and everyone would be better off.

Supadi, not his real name, 50, is a driver. He lives with his wife and son in Mampang, South Jakarta:

Jakarta the most corrupt city? That's the reality. The governor should admit it. He should see that corruption is rampant even at the lowest level.

Even to get an identity card for my 20-year-old son, which is supposed to be free, I had to pay a bribe of Rp 200,000 to the district administration officials.

The excuse they gave me was because he went to school outside Jakarta. This despite the fact that he is listed on our family's Jakarta family registration card and he doesn't have any other ID card.

I mean, if the process of getting something as simple as an ID card is full of corruption, what does this say about other city services?

--The Jakarta Post