ID card processing free of charge

TANGERANG (JP): The Tangerang mayoralty administration has decided to abolish all costs in the processing of identification cards in a bid to help people through the monetary crisis, an official said yesterday.

Tangerang Mayor Djakaria Machmud said the decision was taken in a meeting of mayoralty officials and district and subdistrict heads.

"Besides being intended to help the community during the crisis, this decision also constitutes part of the mayoralty's efforts to welcome the reform spirit," he said.

Djakaria explained that his mayoralty would subsidize the free-of-charge service with Rp 150 million (US$14,300).

He said that to speed up identity card processing the computer system which is currently only used at the central mayoralty office would be installed at all district offices.

Regulations specify that the charge for processing each identification card is Rp 7,500. In practice, however, the cost often jumps to between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000. (41)