Govt OKs exchanging gifts for Idul Fitri

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 10/15/2006 10:20 AM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Good news for hamper vendors and state officials alike. The government has decided that civil servants are allowed to receive gift hampers for Idul Fitri.

State Minister for Administrative Reforms Taufik Effendi said in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Saturday that he had issued a circular allowing civil servants to exchange gifts during the holiday.

There are, however, conditions for such an exchange.

Taufik said that the hamper could not be worth more than Rp 250,000 (US$27) and must be given by those at the upper echelon to officials of a lower rank.

""With such a limitation, it is therefore prohibited to give car keys for instance,"" Taufik said, chuckling.

Taufik, who was quoted by Antara news agency, also said that there had to be an accountability report on the money that had been spent for the hampers.

The minister said that his decision had the backing of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which had issued a directive in 2004 for state officials not to accept gifts, including gift hampers for Idul Fitri, Christmas and the new year.

""The President has also approved my decision,"" he said.

Hamper vendors throughout the country had been dealt a severe blow following the issuance of the KPK order.

Dozens of hamper vendors in Jakarta have been relentless in staging rallies to protest the KPK decision.

The hamper vendors won the backing of the House of Representatives which issued a statement that the government should reconsider its decision to ban the exchange of gifts during holidays.

Apparently swayed by the vendors' campaign, the KPK recently asked the President to set an acceptable limit on the official value of gift hampers.

Such a limit would be necessary, said KPK deputy chief Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, as in the past commissioners in the agency had found that a government official had accepted an Idul Fitri gift worth Rp 2 billion.

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