Job Discussion Forums

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

i have been living/working in indo since may 2004 and i always travel within indo whenever i have the time. this friday i am off to bali for about 2 weeks.just now my employer told me that they have been informed by police that whenever i travel out of where i live now to other cities i have to pay 300,000Rph.....i have never been asked to pay before...and my employer said they did not know also that there was such a rule but if i do not do that the school will be fined to pay some millions to the police.

I know we have to pay when we leave the country but paying for travelling to other cities within the country itself????? ridiculous!

please tell me does such a rule really exist? have u ever been asked to pay such thing?

i told my employer that i will investigate first before paying as i believe this might be another way of getting money from bules. so ur early replies highly appreacited.

thanx a lot

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

ABSOLUTE UTTER RUBBISH!! Either your employer is making a fast buck or someone is trying to make one out of them - but DO NOT fall for this crap.

If necesary ask the employer for the name and location of the police department concerned. Tell them that you will approach your consulate and have them contact the relevant department to determine under which law they are acting. Alternatively, offer to pay on condition that you receive a signed, stamped official receipt from the police department concerned. no photocopies or subsitutes. Then send that to your consulate.

Either way I'm confident the problem will magically resolve itself.

If someone (such as the police) is extorting money from your employer then that is your employer's problem and NOT yours.

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

thanx for replying...

my country does not have a consulate here....so u think i shud go tomorrow wth my employer to the police? because employer said he wil be going to the police 2moro...so what shall i say to them? shall i ask to c the the law written somewhere?

if they give me a recipt wth signature and all..what can i do wth it later if i have no consulate to turn to? i mean this is unfair and pissing me off. Maybe i pay it, get the original receipt and put it on jakarta post.

this is crazy...if therwas such a thing they shud have asked to c the proof of payment everytime we travel at the airports..etc rite? like they do when we go overseas....i mean it's not he money bothering me, it's the way they r trying to get money from us...and SBY is dealing wth corruption!!!! right!

ok, so wat u reckon? i go 2moro there wth my employer and do the talking?

thanx gugelhupf

Salam · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:06 pm Post subject:

Nope, ignore it.

This "fee/fine" is total bollocks. If they say that the school will have to pay a huge fine if you don't pay - give them the contact details of your school and let them deal with it - not your problem.

Just act like a stupid bule and say, "deal with the school - I don't understand what you're saying/doing". That being said, make it pretty clear to the school that they wont be passing this "fine" on to you, either in part or full.

They're just trying to rip you off man, ignore it and move on.

"Jangan coba-coba korupsi"

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

hello selam

they contacted the school first anyway and i was informed about this by my school today. when i asked them how come i never paid such fee b4 and jalan jalan almost everywhere in indonesia, they said they did not know also and that they have been informed only recently by 'polda'. i said what if i don't pay as it sounds 'weird' to me suddenly, school said, polda will fine them if they find out am away without informing them. how? maybe they will come and check the school!!!!! so apparantly i have to apply to police and get a letter of permission from them for 300,000Rph....so i get ur point playing the stupid bule but won't work as everything is explained to me by my school...... feel like a prisoner here in this city now...i have to pay to leave the country, i have to pay to go to another city..what is this????

i'll just go 2moro to the police wth the ppl from school and just ask them to show me a proof of this law....and see where that will take me.

still pissed off!!

Salam · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:11 pm Post subject:

Honestly, if your school bought this to you and are saying the things like you have just said - I'd be worried that they were in on the scam. All visa and related fees are paid for by the school. If they get fined - that's their problem. If they don't like it - tell them how much money they will have to fork out to hire another bule when you walk.

The worst thing you can do in this instance is to give any credance to this scam. Do not go to the police station, do not talk to the school about it anymore and just get on with what you're doing. Go on your holiday and if when you get back they say that they got a fine from you going - shrug and say, "your problem, not mine".

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

It's a scam: either a cop is trying to scam the school, or the school is trying to scam you. There is no such law.

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

i think it is the police not the school...will let u guys know 2moro...

thanx for all the feedback

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

Your idea about sending the details to the Jak Post is a good one, and the mere mention of it might well be enough to do the trick. I'll also look up the contact details for the anti-corruption unit.

Which city is this? I though blatant scams like this had died out long ago.

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

Further to my previous post, complaints for the anti-corruption agency (KPK) can be emailed at [email protected], or by SMS on 081 1959575.

Again, just by demonstrating that you know this may cause the problem to go away.

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

gugelhupf

thanx a lot..u read my mind..i was searching that on the net...

this morning i told the ppl at school that am not willing topay that as i believe it's a scam. they told me that the name of the letter is SKJ (Surat Keterangan Jalan).... then i chcked http://www.expat.or.id/info/docs.html and there it says :

[i]Travel Permit (SKJ/Surat Jalan)
Your company may recommend that you obtain a three-month travel permit, if traveling to other parts of the country, especially outlying areas[/i].

which is not very clear to me to be honest!!! does not say for travelling/business purposes.

so am googling for SKJ and i found these:

[i]SKJ/ traveling permit issued by Central Indonesian Police Dept., if the foreigner will travel other part of Jakarta city for temporary working. (Optional) [/i]

and

[i]An SKJ or Surat Keterangan Jalan is a traveling permit in Indonesia. It is required by the police office in the event that you want to visit a work location outside of the island of Java.[/i]

and am just going to bali for HOLIDAY.....so there!

sometimes i wish i were a lawyer...a VERY good lawyer.

thank u guys..u have been all helpful.....will let u know what happens till friday! AND when i get back Rolling Eyes

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

gugelhupf

thanx a lot..u read my mind..i was searching that on the net...

this morning i told the ppl at school that am not willing topay that as i believe it's a scam. they told me that the name of the letter is SKJ (Surat Keterangan Jalan).... then i chcked http://www.expat.or.id/info/docs.html and there it says :

[i]Travel Permit (SKJ/Surat Jalan)
Your company may recommend that you obtain a three-month travel permit, if traveling to other parts of the country, especially outlying areas[/i].

which is not very clear to me to be honest!!! does not say for travelling/business purposes.

so am googling for SKJ and i found these:

[i]SKJ/ traveling permit issued by Central Indonesian Police Dept., if the foreigner will travel other part of Jakarta city for temporary working. (Optional) [/i]

and

[i]An SKJ or Surat Keterangan Jalan is a traveling permit in Indonesia. It is required by the police office in the event that you want to visit a work location outside of the island of Java.[/i]

and am just going to bali for HOLIDAY.....so there!

sometimes i wish i were a lawyer...a VERY good lawyer.

thank u guys..u have been all helpful.....will let u know what happens till friday! AND when i get back Rolling Eyes

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

The only places I've heard of needing an SKJ have been for trouble spots such as West Papua and Ambon.

Usually Embassies have an arrangment with another country, as you say your country has no embasy in RI, and that nation's affairs are dealt with by the host embassy.

I'd certainly check at that level before going to a local police station.

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

rules / regulations 'made in Indonesia' are some of the best i've ever known and it wud not surprise me if such a rule (OP) existed. idiocy reigns wen they make rules. great stuff. however, i have nothing but empathy for people who have to live through such nonsense. scams also still rule, i see.
there used to be some rule that you cud claim the exit 'fiskal' back at the end of the fiscal year - tax deductable. id be interested in hearing whether anyone has ever succeeded. to me, it was a complete waste of time, money and energy to even attempt something so futile.
best
basil Smile

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

i know...i mean indoneisa is such a beautiful country but these corrupted ppl r making it so difficult to live here...

i managed to contact the person who used to work for the same school before and he said he did get the SKJ from the police only when he had travelled to another city for business purposes. ..and it was the school paying for the fees not him.

whatever..such a rule does not exisit...and am not paying it...and am off to bali tomoro...

merry xmas and happy new year to u all.

Smile