Ahok to Limit Cash Withdrawals by Civil Servants to Rp25m

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama plans to limit cash withdrawals for Jakarta's civil servants to Rp25 million starting in early 2015. "Cash withdrawals by civil servants shall not exceed that figure," said Ahok at the National Civil Society Conference for the Strengthening of Democracy Post-2014 Election at J.S. Luwansa Hotel in Kuningan on Tuesday, November 25, 2014. 

Ahok explained that civil servants would be allowed to withdraw up to Rp100 million in cash until the end of 2014. The cap, which will be imposed for transactions pertaining to the budget of government projects, as well as withdrawals from personal accounts owned by Jakarta's civil servants, is aimed at reducing the possibility of money laundering by the capital's administrators. 

The enforcement of the cap to cash withdrawals, said Ahok, would also involve the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), which will be responsible of tracking the finances of Jakarta civil servants.

Ahok said that PPATK's cooperation and coordination were crucial in the fight against money laundering, as many money laundering suspects have been proven to funnel their illicit gains through the account of their close relatives and/or acquaintances for laundering.

it was reported that Jakarta's Investment and Promotion Agency (BPMP) will cooperate by handing over the names of its board members, as well as its affiliates in regional government enterprises (BUMD) to prevent incidents of money laundering from occurring in regional institutions.

Ahok has also mandated his officials to report their wealth by submitting the state official's wealth disclosure forms (LHKPN), which will be made into a requirement for officials who are seeking promotion. "We will cancel their promotion if they fail to submit their LHKPN," said Ahok.

LINDA HAIRANI