Public Service Sector Still Needs Improvement: President

Singkawang (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo said the public service sector still needs improvement especially after the unearthing of illegal levies  in the Palaran container terminal of  Samarinda.

"Rp6.1 billion (in fund) are big money. The figure is  only what we have seen. It must have been suspected for a long time," the president said here on Friday night referring to the result of  police raid of  long-shore-man cooperative  at the container terminal complex and seized Rp6.1 billion suspected to be the result of illegal levies earlier on Friday .

The president was on a visit to Kalimantan to see progress in the development especially in the frontier areas.

A team of 100 police detectives  from Jakarta and East Kalimantan mobile police officers early Friday  raided the cooperative, Koperasi Samudera Sejahtera (Komura).

In the raid, the police confiscated Rp6.1 billion in cash  and two units of computer  and a bundle of documents  from the long-shore-man cooperative.

"It is necessary to remind us that we want to improve the existing system to speed up public services. Therefore, this (the practice of illegal levies) should not come blocking our way, when we are seeking to improve and simplify services for the business sector, exports and licensing procedure," he said.

The president warned that the movement to eradicate illegal levies is in progress.

Police found that practices of illegal levies were rampant  at the port  especially on trucks transporting goods in and out of the container terminal complex.  
Police said officers of the long-shore-man cooperative collected illegal levies on the trucks.

As a result of the illegal levies,  the tariff for a 20-feet container is Rp180,000 in Samarinda as against only Rp10,000 in Surabaya, East Java, and the tariff for a 40-feet container is Rp350,000 in Samarinda.

Police said they would summon  and investigate Jafar Abdul Gaffar, the Komura chairman. Jafar is also chairman of the Golkar party in Samarinda.

The government has launched a nation wide campaign against  illegal levies since last year led by Coordinating Minister for Law, Security and Political Affairs Wiranto.

Many perpetrators have been arrested  especially within the transport ministry.  (WDY)