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Jakarta Post

Govt efforts to combat illegal levies overdue: Analyst

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, October 15, 2016

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Govt efforts to combat illegal levies overdue: Analyst President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, accompanied by Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi (second left) and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Iriawan (right), gives a statement on the arrest of officials at the ministry on Oct. 11. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)

T

he recent arrest of transportation officials over illegal levies was overdue as such practices have long been endemic, an expert has said.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was supposed to have taken action in the early days of his term in office, Siswanto Rusdi, the director of the National Maritime Institute, said on Saturday.

“Why has the raid happened only now? They [allegedly corrupt officials] should have been arrested earlier,” he said in a discussion in Jakarta.

He spoke in response to Jokowi’s sudden visit to the Transportation Ministry following the arrest on Tuesday of a number of officials from the ministry for allegedly collecting “fees” related to licensing services.

Collecting illegal levies was allegedly a common practice in the Transportation Ministry Siswanto said citing as an example ship seaworthiness inspections.

“By greasing the palms of officials, many ships in poor condition pass inspections. As a result, lifeboats cannot be lowered during evacuations and many passengers aren’t provided with life vests,” he added.

Despite the late move, Aboe Bakar Al Habsyi, a member of House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs, said the action deserved public appreciation.

“Although the magnitude of the case is too small for the head of state to monitor, it shows that the government is serious in eradicating illegal levies,” he said. (win/rin)

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