TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The director-general for applications and informatics at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, said that his side is ready to close down Russian ride-hailing app Maxim, awaiting for the Transportation Ministry’s request.

“We have sent them a warning letter and have given them time to make a response,” said Semuel at the Kominfo ministry’s building in Jakarta on Wednesday, January 22.

Competing against ride-hailing decacorns Gojek and Grab, the online transport firm allegedly violated the rules on the minimum and maximum tariff for online-based transportation service or online ojek mandated in the ministry’s Decree No. 348/2019, Transportation Ministry stated.

Semuel added that Maxim had 2x24 hours to respond to the warning letter. “If [Transportation Ministry] asks us to shut the app off, I will do so because it does not comply with [the regulation].”

Previously, Land Transportation Director Ahmad Yani said he had called the firm in three times over their service pricing. “In the last summon, they come with their Russian investors and said they need time,” said Yani at his office on Tuesday, January 21.

However, Yani went on, Maxim got time until February 16, 2020, to adjust their online ojek tariff. If they exceed the deadline, the Transportation Ministry will take a stern measure which is asking the Kominfo Ministry to suspend the app or reporting it to the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU).

EKO WAHYUDI