Jakarta Calls Off Levy of Warteg Tax

The Jakarta administration finally called off the plan to impose a 10 percent tax over all small eateries known locally as warteg. Food business which earns less than Rp 200 million per year shall not be levied taxes.  

Small eateries, whose profit is worth less than Rp200 million per year, or Rp16.6 million per month or Rp 550 thousand per day, are not included as restaurant tax object. 

Head of Jakarta Tax Agency, Iwan Setiawandi, stated that Regional Regulation No.11/2011 does not specify about warteg tax, but only regulates 10 percent of tax of the restaurant's income. 

The types of restaurants mentioned in this regulation are: restaurants, cafeterias, canteens, stalls, bars and the likes thereof, including food services and caterings. 

“This regulation is also valid in all regencies or municipals in Indonesia according to the Law No.28/2009 on Local Tax and Retribution,” said Iwan in Jakarta, today, Feb 2. 

He said the minimum tax rate is based on the discussion between the Provincial Legislation (Balegda) of DPRD DKI and the coordination meeting of Commission C of DPRD DKI as well as the executives and Warteg Association (Kowarteg) in 2011. 

Since December 29, 2011, the Local Regulation on Restaurant Tax has been legalized and was valid starting from January 2012.

***sources: VivaNews.com

Jakarta Stadium to Make Way for New MRT Service

The provincial government is setting aside Rp 99 billion ($11 million) to fund land acquisitions needed to move South Jakarta’s Lebak Bulus sports stadium in order to free up space for a Mass Rapid Transit depot and station, an official said on Tuesday.

A new stadium, with a larger capacity and better facilities, will be built in Pesanggrahan, also in South Jakarta, to replace the existing stadium, said Ratiyono, the head of the city’s Youth and Sports Office.

“In addition to moving to a new stadium, we will also improve facilities and have a larger capacity at the new stadium,” Ratiyono said. He added that among the additional facilities included a swimming pool, a squash court and a futsal field.

He said his office was currently mapping the Pesanggrahan site and checking on the titles of land owners.

Ratiyono said the land acquisition would be conducted in two phases, seven hectares in 2012 and eight hectares later.

Jakarta Council member Wanda Hamidah reminded the city’s government to be careful with the land acquisition.

“There are many land brokers in Jakarta and the authorities should be careful not to be trapped by them. Negotiations should be conducted directly with land owners,” she said.

MRT Jakarta, the firm that will build the transportation network, will involve the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Goods and Services Procurement Policy Institution (LKPP) in the tender process.

“The presence of institutions such as the KPK and LKPP is part of our commitment that during the procurement process, PT MRT Jakarta will always consult and coordinate with those institutions,” MRT Jakarta director Tribudi Rahardjo said.

Tribudi said the agreement was expected to be signed with contractors in October and November, adding that preparation work to support the MRT project would begin in April.

“The construction preparations are conducted in parallel with the construction tenders so that the target of getting it operational by end 2016 can be met,” Tribudi said.

Tender briefings were held by the company on Monday, Tribudi said. He said that consistent with the instructions of the Jakarta governor, the company will be open, accountable and transparent from the start. He added that all members of the company’s procurement department had signed a pact of integrity.

The MRT Jakarta system will be 111 kilometers long and include a north-south corridor of 24 kilometers, and an east-west corridor of 87 kilometers.

The first phase of the north-south route involves the construction of the Lebak Bulus-Bundaran HI segment, which will be 16 kilometers long and have 13 stations. This phase is expected to be completed by 2016.

The second phase will involve the construction of an 8-kilometer Bundaran HI-Kampung Bandan stretch that is expected to begin operations in 2018.

The east-west corridor is still at the feasibility study stage and is not expected to be operational until at least 2024. 

 

***sources: thejakartaglobe.com

My Jakarta: Kurniawati, Toll Road Operator

Ever wondered what life’s like in a tollbooth? Well, My Jakarta spoke to a 15-year veteran, Kurniawati, second left, who quit university to pursue her dream job working for Jasa Marga, the toll road operator.

She reveals the tricks to working inside a tiny booth, talks about making change on the fly and tells us why her uniform didn’t used to have pockets.

Besides taking money and making change, what else do you do inside that tiny booth?

I usually listen to music. We are allowed to bring our own music and radios into the booth, but that’s about it. We have to leave all our other belongings in a locker, including our phones and money. We also need to keep records of the money that we bring to work. Back in the old days, our uniforms didn’t even have any pockets.

We are also encouraged to contribute to the Practical Improvement and Quality Improvement Group programs by suggesting ideas that can improve our work and service. For example, one of the ideas was to install an extra camera at the tollgate, to help collectors categorize vehicles without having to look outside.

Have you always wanted to work as a tollgate officer?

Surprisingly, yes, it has always been my dream to work for Jasa Marga. I heard that the workers received a complete set of benefits, bonuses and a very good salary. And all of that turned out to be true. And the moderate workload makes it a very enjoyable job. Not once in 15 years have I regretted working here.

Back then I had just graduated from high school in Tegal [Central Java] and I decided to try my luck in Jakarta. I enrolled in Moestopo University, but not long after that I heard about a job vacancy at Jasa Marga and dropped out of college hoping to seize the opportunity. Having been at my dream job for 15 years now makes me really happy.

How does Jasa Marga decide what tollgate you will be placed at?

We get bonuses based on the number of vehicles that we serve. That’s one of the main reasons behind the scheduled rotations, making sure that everyone gets their fair share of transactions. But sometimes it comes down to your preference, like choosing a tollgate that is closer to home.

Have you ever ran out of change ?

Never. At the CTC tollgate we know the right amount of change needed every day. We have carried out surveys, make use of our own experience and cooperate with Bank BJB to figure out what the exact amounts are. We never run out of change here.

What about forgetting the toll rates?

Thank goodness no. We’ve all memorized them inside out. It’s part of the training, we have to memorize the rates, be able to calculate them in our heads and take note of tickets manually. We also need to be ready for customer complaints and be friendly to them at all times. Someone would only forget a rate right after a rate change, but even that would be rare. And most drivers are aware of what they have to pay, which helps keep the process on track.

What happens when nature calls when you’re in the booth?

We’ve also got that covered. There are two kinds of toll officers, the duty officer and the guard officer. Duty officers are the ones who deal with transactions while the guard officers stand by in a separate room. Guard officers will take over transactions when the need arises. We are all rostered as guard officers once a week.

How much do tollgate officers make a month?

A high school graduate will earn about Rp 3 million or Rp 4 million [$335 to $450] a month, with an annual 8 percent raise. This year, though, Jasa Marga will give us a 20 percent raise in July to keep up with inflation.

Jasa Marga also welcomes college and university graduates. They can take a test and if they are successful they will get a better salary and job title.

We have to work at least 14 years before we are eligible for a promotion, 10 years for exceptional candidates.

You’re here at the Tanjung Duren tollgate. How much does this gate collect daily?

The two booths at Tanjung Duren collect around Rp 45 million each day.

That seems like a lot of money, so why do tolls increase every two years?

Inflation makes the regular increases necessary. Sometimes there are cross-subsidies that increase rates for category-one vehicles and decrease them for other categories. So rate increases don’t always affect all categories at the same time.

Increases are enacted through ministerial decree, often to please investors. Thirty percent of the tollgates in Indonesia are privately owned by companies such as Bakrie. Jasa Marga mainly uses the money for road expansion, such as the toll road about to be built between Benoa and Nusa Dua in Bali. 

***sources:  thejakartaglobe.com

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