New policy on vehicle ownership gets mixed reactions
New policy on vehicle ownership gets mixed reactions
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors gave mixed reactions to the city
administration's new policy which requires them to put a special
sticker on car license plates as evidence that the car tax has
been paid.
"I see no significant difference between the new policy and
the existing one, as vehicle owners still have to come to the tax
office to pay every year," said councilor Bahriyoen Soetjipto, a
member of city council commission D on development, yesterday.
Bahriyoen, who is also a member of the Golkar faction, also
questioned the new policy, saying that it will burden the public
because they will end up having to pay additional fees.
Under the new policy, which goes into effect today, motorists
whose vehicle ownership documents (STNK) have expired
must go to the Samsat (Vehicle Documents Service) office to
obtain special stickers, which must now be attached to license
plates.
Under the old policy, vehicle ownership documents were only
valid for one year. After a year, motorists would have to obtain
new license plates after paying the vehicle tax and other
required fees.
Under the new policy, vehicle documents and license plates are
valid for five years, but the motorist's annual obligation to pay
the tax and traffic accident funds is unchanged.
The city revenues office announced on Thursday that people
with expired documents should bring their identification card,
previous car tax receipts, previous traffic accident fund
receipts and all of their original vehicle documentation to the
Samsat building in the police headquarters complex. Public
transportation vehicle owners must also have their route permits,
business permits, certificates of vehicle inspection and previous
traffic insurance receipts.
The chief of the city revenues office, Fauzie Alvi Yasin, said
that people who are caught applying for the sticker with forged
or altered vehicle ownership documents face a maximum jail term
of six months or a maximum fine of Rp 6 million (US$2,754).
Original
Meanwhile, another commission B councilor, Muhammad Rodja of
the United Development Party, said that the document requirement
for vehicle owners was important, to verify the originality and
legality of the vehicles and their owners.
Councilor Neneng Amalia Dendawacana of the Indonesian
Democratic Party, hailed the new policy, saying it was more
practical.
"At least the motorists are not required to change their
license plates every year," she said.
However two motorists interviewed by The Jakarta Post
yesterday appeared skeptical about the effectiveness and
efficiency of the policy. (03)