Illegal 'fees' abound in govt departments
Illegal 'fees' abound in govt departments
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged
to combat corruption. Six months into his presidency, the public
has yet to see changes in the way most government offices
operate. This story examines Susilo's anticorruption program and
why it isn't working.
Six months after the inauguration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
as the country's first directly elected president, most people's
expectations of a corruption-free public service have begun to
fade.
The President has pledged to combat corruption in government
in speeches here and abroad. However, the public has yet to see
any changes.
Subdistrict and immigration offices, police stations and even
regional religious affairs agencies nationwide remain places
where public officials extort money from consumers in the form of
illegal fees.
Those renewing their identification cards at subdistrict
offices still have to pay amounts five times higher than the
official rate of Rp 10,000 (some US$1.2).
"Nothing has changed as far as corruption in the public
service is concerned. Just last week I had to pay about Rp 50,000
for the renewal of my ID card," said Surya, a young executive
living in Limo, Depok.
"I wonder how the new government hopes to combat high-level
graft if it cannot even crack down on petty corruption at the
subdistrict level," he said.
Immigration offices around the country are other examples of
public institutions riddled with graft. Most people have to pay
up to Rp 1 million for a new regular 48-page passport, compared
with the official rate of only Rp 255,000.
Immigration officials also seek illegal fees from foreigners,
further hurting the nation's international image.
Thankfully, it is not only the national pride that is at
stake.
Political analysts say Susilo's pledges to combat corruption
during his election campaign greatly contributed to his win in an
electorate tired of the inaction of the Megawati Soekarnoputri
government under which graft blossomed.
Unlike the mostly mute Megawati, Susilo promised to personally
lead the anticorruption campaign. And as president, Susilo has
reiterated his pledges, noting however that he needed more time
to realize his dream of a graft-free public service.
"We have been down (the anticorruption) road time and again.
However, until we see some real results, we simply won't be
impressed by mere words," Transparency International Indonesia
secretary-general Emmy Hafild says.
Emmy said Susilo's failure to combat corruption at the public
service level stemmed from an inability to delegate. Susilo
simply had too much on his plate to be spearheading efforts
alone, she said.
"There is no special official who is the eyes and ears of the
President in reporting the developments of the anticorruption
drive. There is just no coordination, and this means the
President is likely to be unable to spot the real problems," Emmy
said.
Another obstacle faced by Susilo was the high resistance from
the bureaucracy, with officials using the money gained in
corruption to supplement their often meager incomes.
A mid-ranking immigration official handling the processing of
passports is only paid about Rp 850,000 per month. In comparison,
some babysitters in the capital can earn up to Rp 1 million a
month.
An immigration official, who asked to remain anonymous, warned
many government officials would get angry or even go on strike if
the government took action to stop them from charging illegal
fees.
"We basically agree (about ending) the illegal fees. However,
our incomes should also be raised to cope with the current cost
of living," said the official, who has been working at the office
for some 10 years.
However, not all public servants blamed their small wages for
graft.
A police sergeant stationed at the Ministry of Finance said he
was fed up with the corruption of senior officers, who used most
of the money to enrich themselves rather than to improve the
welfare of lower ranking officers, he said.