Extorted By An Ambulance, Jakarta's Body Is Expensive, Provincial Government: Free For Poor People!

Illustration of the ambulance. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta City Parks and Forest Service Bayu Meghantara opened his voice regarding the DKI Jakarta DPRD's remarks regarding the high retribution of corpse ambulance services, which amounted to Rp350 thousand.

Bayu emphasized that the DKI Provincial Government has the possibility to make the corpse ambulance service free for poor Jakarta residents who are registered in the integrated social welfare data (DTKS).

"For people who are registered with the integrated social welfare data, it's free. If the community can't afford it, we'll also be free," said Bayu in a short message, Thursday, May 2.

Previously, this disbursement was expressed by the Chairman of Commission D of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Ida Mahcepat, in a working meeting with the DKI Provincial Government. Ida did not agree with the collection of levies for the corpse ambulance service for residents amounting to Rp350 thousand.

The amount of this retribution value is contained in the DKI Jakarta Provincial Regulation Number 1 of 2024 concerning Regional Taxes and Regional Retribution.

Ida said that she received many complaints from underprivileged residents who had difficulty paying the retribution for the purposes of delivering the bodies. This was revealed by Ida in a working meeting with the DKI Provincial Government.

"I live in a densely populated place. To buy cloth, sometimes I can't afford it, RT to joint ventures. Eh, now the ambulance has a retribution, IDR 350 thousand in the city. What are you trying to do?" said Ida on Thursday, April 25.

According to Ida, the majority of users of the DKI Provincial Government's ambulance services come from underprivileged circles. Meanwhile, residents can prefer to rent private foundation ambulances.

"I'm sure, the average person who wants to borrow is a resident who can't afford it. If the residents are capable, just rent an MER-C ambulance, what ambulance is that," said Ida.

Therefore, Ida asked the City Parks and Forest Service (Distamhut) to change the rules regarding the retribution of the corpse ambulance for residents by making the service tariff free.

"In my opinion, this needs to be evaluated properly. The regional regulation must be revised. They (Distamhut) rely on the regional regulation. They say that in the regional regulation they have to pay Rp. 350 thousand. Why is the DKI Regional Government the same as the private sector," he said.