People still pay for 'free' ID card services
People still pay for 'free' ID card services
Rendi A.Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The City Population Agency's promise to provide free identity
cards, birth certificates and other documents to residents who
lost them during the recent floods has proven to be empty, with
flood victims still having to pay up front.
In fact, applicants are being forced to pay more than the
official charges.
Ibu Ida, 55, a resident of Bukit Duri subdistrict, South
Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that she was charged Rp
60,000 (US$6) by a subdistrict official for her granddaughter's
birth certificate, the original of which was destroyed during the
floods.
"I didn't know that flood victims are supposed to be exempt
from paying when we apply for these documents (that were lost
during the floods). Is it really free? I paid Rp 60,000 to the
subdistrict officials just now. What's more, I'll have to wait
for three weeks," she said softly.
According to the announcement board in the subdistrict office,
the issuing of identity and family registration cards is free.
But if one is late in extending an ID card that has expired for
more than 14 days, a charge of Rp 10,000 is payable.
As for a birth certificate, the charge is supposed to be only
Rp 5,000.
The population agency launched the supposedly free document
processing service for flood victims on Feb. 21 in a bid to
reduce the hardship suffered by victims.
However, since the first day of the program, the public have
been skeptical about the free service as they usually have to
pass some money to officials.
One man, Sutardji, 65, also a resident of Bukit Duri
subdistrict, who applied for a family card on Friday, said he
paid Rp 10,000. A family registration card is needed to apply for
an ID card.
"Free service for processing documents? No way. Things are
just the same as the other day when you had to give Rp 10,000 or
20,000 in "cigarette money" to the subdistrict officials. If you
want everything to run smoothly, that's the price you have to
pay," said Sutardji.
After a subdistrict official received the money, he separated
Sutardji's application from the others and processed it
immediately.
Other people were seen giving between Rp 20,000 and Rp 50,000
each to the subdistrict officials who processed their documents.
Similar irregularities could also be found in Bendungan Hilir
subdistrict, Central Jakarta.
A flood victim said that she was charged Rp 10,000 when she
applied for an ID card.
"I am applying for a new ID card for my daughter (who lost the
document during the flood), but I have to pay Rp 10,000. I didn't
know that it was free", said the 45-year-old woman.
The head of the City Population Agency, Sylviana Murni, was
upset upon hearing about the violations in the subdistrict
offices. She pledged that she would institute strict oversight.
"I've just transferred 1,241 of my officials stationed in
subdistrict offices across Jakarta for failing to provide proper
service to the public," she said.
The violations involved were imposing improper charges, making
deliberate error and being absent from the office, she said.