`Irregularities' in vehicle licensing service terminated

`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)