In an annual ritual I have come to accept as a necessary evil, I recently traveled to the Samsat office on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, to renew my motorcycle registration.

Things got off to a good start and I was not hounded by shifty-eyed go-betweens, as I usually am at Komdak city police headquarters near Semanggi.

These middlemen are comparable to the scalpers at soccer stadiums and train stations. Their offers to do you a favor -- range from filling out forms to enabling you to jump to the head of the line -- will drive you crazy.

Despite the countless promises that change lies ahead, services have remained so-so. The numerous counters were manned by mostly unsmiling police officers.

It was a typical scene: People jostled with each other, thrusting their bundles of documents in the faces of the seemingly overwhelmed officers in charge, with no care for queue rules. Then the officer would resort to shouting into the microphone, ordering people to return to their seats.

Of course there were not enough seats, so people milled around, trying to see what was happening.

I considered myself lucky to have found a seat and a rare chance to flip through a magazine at my leisure. But I just could not stop dreaming of a time when taxpayers get properly treated.

Visions of officials going to people's homes to collect taxes by appointment flitted through my mind. Well, the media did announce the police had plans to do something along those lines, but God knows when it will materialize.

It's truly amazing that in this digital era, the police seem to prefer doing things the old-fashioned way: dealing with tons and tons of paper every day, when computers could handle much of the work.

I remember back in the 1990s, when House of Representatives legislators demanded that the police improve efficiency and service, starting with the motor vehicle registration period.

The lawmakers proposed making the registration documents good for five years, so vehicle owners did not have to go through the hassle of going to the police office every year.

But alas, tax is about big money anyway. What happened was that the police extended the registration period from one to five years, but you still have to see the police every year to pay the renewal fees.

A notable improvement in public service is the relatively fast time (as little as two hours) it takes to get a driver's license renewed.

The police -- which Transparency International Indonesia's perception survey found was the most corrupt institution last year -- have been doing a great job with their mobile services for vehicle documents and driver's license renewals, despite the limited number of mobile units on the roads.

Obedient taxpayers like me also wonder why, in this so called reform era, the law still gives the police the privilege of collecting taxes instead of focusing on their core job as law enforcers.

Imagine how wonderful it would be if the police entrusted the tax collection job to the Finance Ministry and, in return, police officers' welfare was improved and their salaries doubled, or even tripled. Then all the stories of officers extorting ordinary people in the street would be left in the past.

There are good reasons why police officers should be off chasing criminals and competent government officials collecting taxes.

The high rate of street crime is one sign the police are not doing their jobs. Besides, the Yudhoyono administration's war on corruption certainly requires the police to take more of a role.

I was startled when an officer called out my name, indicating I should come forward. They had finished processing my documents. Feeling like I had been born again, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

On the way to the motorcycle parking lot, a big sign assures visitors of free parking, but that day the attendants were demanding Rp 1,000 from each and everyone one of us.

"It's voluntary and the money is for us," replied the parking attendant when I protested.

I see. On their own doorstep, the police are making light of the rules they are supposed to be enforcing.

-- Pandaya

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