Report on Rp 2m fee for ID card not true

JAKARTA (JP): Officials and a journalist acknowledged over the weekend that recent reports on ID card processing fees, which were said to range from Rp 500,000 (US$211.59) to Rp 2 million, were false.

Officials did not deny, however, that people were paying up to Rp 150,000 to service bureaus which promised to take care of their documents at the subdistrict offices.

"We cannot prohibit people from paying private parties," Sudarsono, the mayor of East Jakarta, said.

"However, I thank you anyway for the reports, which I have used to improve the mayoralty services to the public," he said during a meeting in his office.

The meeting was attended by the head of the mayoralty population agency, Daulat Lumban Tobing, Joseph Lea Wea of the mayoralty-based Urban Consultative Institute and his colleagues, as well as reporters.

A local newspaper reported last week that several people complained to the institute about the extortion practices connected with the issuance of ID cards.

The paper also quoted Tobing and Joseph as confirming the reports. According to the paper, the extortion practices were carried out by brokers, private firms which deal in offering services to the public.

The reporter who wrote the extortion story, however, acknowledged that it was partly incorrect.

"I beg your pardon Mr. Mayor, I was confused with a similar story taking place in another mayoralty," she said.

Sudarsono said that he welcomed any criticism, as long as it was nothing personal.

He added that he was not offended by the news report, although he was summoned by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja to give an explanation.

Sudarsono said it was impossible to prohibit brokers from operating in the mayoralty. The broker firms have the right to offer services to people, he said.

"What I can do is order my subordinates, the subdistrict heads, not to deal with the brokers in any business," he said.

Sudarsono also acknowledged that other services, such as the issuance of building permits, are still complicated.

"For example, currently there are two offices which are doing the same job, measuring every piece of land before issuing the license," said Sudarsono. He promised to make the process simpler. (kod)