President Jokowi Renews Calls Against Collecting Illegal Levies

President Jokowi during a land certificate handing event in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Tuesday (18/10)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has renewed his call to all apparatus in charge in public service sectors not to collect illegal levies.

“Now we already have the Saber Pungli (Sapu Bersih Pungli), a task force to eradicate illegal levies, be it for certificates, driving license, residential identity card, vehicle ownership documents, or other permits. Please be careful. To all apparatus, please be careful,” the President said during the handing ceremony of land certificatesas part of the 2016 Strategic Program at the Pendopo of North Minahasa Regent Office in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, on Tuesday (18/10).

The President also reiterated that although ‘he only has two eyes, he has other eyes and ears’ and ensured that the Government would impose sanctions in the form of dismissal for apparatus proven to collect illegal levies. The measure, the President said, is aimed at creating a healthy and fast work culture that is free from illegal fees.

“I want to make things easy for the people when they need services from both the Central Government and the regional governments. This is not about how much the illegal levies are but it doesbring trouble, anxiety, and inconvenience,” the President said.

Regarding the issue of land certificates in all provinces in Indonesia, President Jokowi hopes that all lands will have land certificates in 2025.Therefore, the President urged all governors, regents, and the Central Government to create a synergy to accelerate problem solving.

“This Agrarian National Operation Project (Prona) has been implemented for 35 years but it has not been completed until now. It’s still 46 percent finished all over Indonesia. It’s not even half finished. Thus, we hope by 2025, all lands in Indonesia will have certificates,” the President said.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also handed 1,081 land certificates as part of the 2016 Strategic Program. However, President Jokowi hopes that an event like that will not stop during ceremonial events only.

“I don’t want that this only a symbolic matter. Don’t be like that. That’s why I want that those who received the certificates to raise their hands to make sure they really received it,” the President said.

Regarding the lack of land surveyors and data collectors, President Jokowihas given a green light to the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/the National Land Agency to recruit competent non-civil servants so the process of obtaining land certificateswill not be time-consuming anymore.

“If we can’t do so, we will never address the issue of land certificates. So we hope that early next year, there will have been new land surveyors so the process of land surveyingwill be faster” the President said.

Also joining the President at the event were First Lady Ibu Iriana Jokowi, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planing/Head of the National Land Agency Sofyan Djalil, Governor of North SulawesiOlly Dondokambey,and Regent of Minahasa Vonnie A Panambunan. (BPMI/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)