Pasar Jaya in deep water over parking rate hike

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality is investigating PD Pasar Jaya, the city-owned market management company, for raising parking fees without the governor's approval, a senior official said.

Chief of the city's inspectorate office Bambang Sungkono said that he established a special team yesterday and the investigation was underway.

"We cannot say anything about the issue until the team completes its fact-finding mission," Bambang said when reporters asked him what action he had taken against the company's controversial policy.

Bambang refused to provide details about the team which would question the company's chairman, Albert Napitupulu, who issued the disputed decree.

The parking policy was introduced at 21 major markets under the company's supervision on April 1.

Under the policy, motorists are charged Rp 1,000 for a stay of two hours or less. Increases of Rp 200 to Rp 500 are charged for subsequent hours. Previously, a one hour stay cost Rp 500.

For motorcycles, the tariff increased from Rp 200 for one hour to Rp 500 for two hours or less. The fee for subsequent hours increased from Rp 100 to Rp 200.

Pasar Jaya spokesman Lihardin Sipayung said Thursday the increase in parking fees was designed to boost the company's income and allow it to meet new statutory value-added tax obligations in 1998.

City councilors had demanded that the company scrap the policy because it was introduced without the governor's approval.

Deputy Governor of Financial Affairs Harun Al Rasyid said that he had yet to receive an official report.

When asked whether the administration would take action against the company chairman, Harun said: "I will first ask him to send me a detailed written report and will study it further because I know about the case from newspaper reports.

"Only them will I determine if the chairman has done something wrong and deserves to be punished."

Vice chairman of the city parking body Bubung Burhana said that Pasar Jaya had never consulted his office about the increase.

"Maybe they (the company's management) considered the case to be an internal matter and they did not feel obliged to consult us," he said.

More calls to scrap the Pasar Jaya decree continued streaming in yesterday.

Chairman of the Jakarta branch of Golkar Tadjus Sobirin said that Pasar Jaya should be held responsible for the money they had collected for one month.

"The policy is illegal," he said. "The PD Pasar Jaya chairman should know that increasing parking fees should be done (in accordance) with standard procedures and not any way he likes.

"I insist that the chairman scrap his decree."

Head of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction at the City Council Lukman Mokoginta questioned the authority of the company chairman to issue such a decree.

"He (Napitupulu) has abused his power. He has no authority to increase the parking fees."

Lukman said that the inspectorate office should investigate not only the new policy's legal basis but also examine the funds which have been collected.

"Pasar Jaya can be categorized as having collected funds illegally."

The city regional economic bureau, which oversees Pasar Jaya, should ask Napitupulu to withdraw the decree, he said. (ind)