Police opt to cancel Red Cross sticker sales at offices

JAKARTA (JP): City Police decided yesterday to cancel sales of Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) stickers imposed for several police services because there was no official instruction governing the measure, an officer said.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang told reporters the decision was made to avoid further debate about the sticker sales, originally intended to obtain public funds to cope with the city's critical blood shortage due to an outbreak of dengue fever.

"We will cancel the sticker sales starting tomorrow," Aritonang said. He added that PMI requested the sticker sales last month.

People extending the terms of their vehicle documents were charged between Rp 1,500 and Rp 2,500 each, depending on the document type, he said.

Driving license applicants were charged Rp 2,500 each, he added.

"But executives of PMI's city branch said later that they hadn't given any recommendation for fund collection through the sticker sales. Maybe this incident happened because there was miscommunication within the PMI itself regarding this.

"Therefore, we have decided to cancel the sales of the stickers and await official instructions from the municipality about this matter," he said.

The debate on the sticker sales emerged after customers complained publicly about the imposition of the fund collection which was done without any official instruction from the municipality.

Kristianto Budiono, deputy chairman of PMI's city branch, told reporters Thursday that his office had not issued any order about the sticker sales.

"If there were any sales of such stickers, I want people to report to my office as soon as possible," he said during a blood donation service.

Aritonang stressed yesterday that any funds already collected from sticker sales would be audited and given to PMI, along with the remaining stock of stickers given to the police.

"We just want to help PMI to gather funds, especially in this troubled time. But we don't want to take the blame if something goes wrong. We don't want to be accused of 'stealing' money," he said.

Meanwhile, a city councilor said Thursday that there had been no official announcement about the sticker sales from the municipality.

Head of the United Development Party faction Achmad Suaidy said the city council had informally agreed with PMI's plan to distribute the stickers in a hearing in February.

"But up until now we haven't given formal recommendations to PMI to sell the stickers. It also has to be approved by the municipality," he said.

Achmad said the fund gathering was not a problem, particularly during the blood crisis, as long as the public gave voluntarily.

"But it has to be done by the book so it is clear where the money will be contributed. We don't want people's money to disappear just like that," he said.

It is usual for a gubernatorial decree to support the collecting of public funds through annual sales of PMI stickers, he added. (edt)