PT Securindo defends rights to do business

JAKARTA (JP): Secure Parking service provider PT Securindo Packatama Indonesia (SPI) has stated that it had a legal permit to run its business at public facilities.

"We have secured a permit to manage parking at offices, shopping centers and hotels," SPI's president director Rustam Rahmat told a hearing with City Council's Commission D on development affairs on Wednesday.

He cited the permit No. 4013/09.01/BB/XII/92, which was issued by the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Wednesday's hearing was the second after the first one held on Monday. The hearings were held in response to residents complaints over expensive parking fees at offices, shopping centers and hotels, and over the operators failure to contribute to the city administration.

Fees vary from Rp 1,000 an hour to as high as Rp 2,500 an hour, such as those charged at the Jakarta Stock Exchange building in Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta.

Commission members suggested at Monday's hearing that parking services at public facilities should be provided free of charge.

"It is the owners obligation to provide parking facilities in their buildings," said councillor Ali Imran Husein of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, while citing that establishing parking facilities was a prerequisite for obtaining a building permit.

"It is clearly stated in the Gubernatorial Decree No. 1698/1999 that the Secure Parking operator should pay a contribution of between 10 and 35 percent to the city administration and that the highest parking fee is Rp 1,000 per hour in off-street areas," he added.

Councillors have accused the service providers of having been hiding behind the Law No. 18/1997 on City Tax and Income Contributions, which stipulates that there is no obligation for Secure Parking operators to contribute to the city administration.

Rustam also said that they only provided the service, while the parking fees were set by the owners of the buildings.

Commission D chairman, Sayogo Hendrosubroto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction said the commission would study the documents provided by the company.

"We will also invite the City Parking Agency to the next meeting," he said.

Separately on Wednesday, City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo supported the councillors' proposal that the Secure Parking service should be free of charge.

"It is also a part of city administration's mistake as they failed to socialize the 1999 Gubernatorial Decree and to set the parking fees," he said. (09)