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.