`Irregularities' in vehicle licensing service terminated

JAKARTA (JP): Procedures for renewing vehicle license plates in the East Jakarta traffic office returned to normal as no more illegal fees were imposed on vehicle owners who failed to show their old license plates when applying for the new ones.

"Today, I followed all the required procedures and so far the Samsat officials have not asked me to pay any extra fees," a vehicle owner, Indra Yahya, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday while showing his new license plate.

According to earlier press reports, people who wanted to renew their license plates in East Jakarta were compelled to show their old ones, or else pay some Rp 5,000 in extra fees.

The system is an integrated administrative office in charge of releasing the license plates of vehicles in each of the five mayoralties in Jakarta, which is overseen by the city police, the city tax office and Jasa Rahardja, the state-owned insurance company.

Recent media coverage on the illegal levies in the East Jakarta traffic office had outraged City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochamad Hindarto, who on Friday pledged to punish any of his officers involved in the irregularities.

Responding to Hindarto's appeal, Col. Soeroso, the newly- installed chief of the traffic directorate at the city police headquarters, launched a crackdown during which three traffic policemen were detained following allegations of involvement in the illegal practice. (03)