Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
Giving money to street beggars might soon carry a penalty in North Sumatra, with the administration planning a fine of Rp 6 million (US$666).
Head of North Sumatra Social Services Office Nabari Ginting said Thursday the draft local ordinance would soon be submitted by the provincial administration to the Legislative Council to be approved in October this year.
The draft regulation, which is hoped to curtail the growing number of beggars in the region, is currently being publicized across the province, he added.
‘Residents should be aware of this new regulation since a resident who is caught giving money to a beggar will be fined Rp 6 million.
‘A beggar who is caught receiving money from a resident will be jailed for six weeks,‘ Nabari told The Jakarta Post in his office.
He said the penalty for those giving money to beggars was heavier to act as deterrent.
He added that while the regulation might seem inhumane it was needed to lower the number of beggars.
North Sumatra, he said, ranked third in the number of beggars after Jakarta and East Java. Most beggars are found in Medan city.
‘There are around 11,000 beggars across the province. Out of that number, 30 percent are children below the age of 12 years old.
‘Generally, these beggars come in groups and each group has its own leader,‘ Nabari said.
He said that based on interviews with several beggars under the social services office, each earns around Rp 55,0000 a day, Nabari said this was a good income and had encouraged more people to take up begging.
‘We can‘t let this happen. We don‘t want a begging culture to be widespread. It is embarrassing the country,‘ Nabari said.
North Sumatra is not the first region to introduce such a regulation. Bali and South Sumatra already have local ordinances preventing people from giving money to beggars and street children and instead encourage people to donate to orphanages and nursing homes.
The Balinese ordinance, on cleanliness and public order, was issued in 2000 and has a maximum penalty of Rp 5 million or three months in jail.
Medan State University anthropologist Bungaran Simanjuntak welcomed the new regulation.
He said it would prevent beggars from being spoiled by residents under the pretense of pity.
‘I agree with this regulation. Without this regulation, many people will choose begging as profession since its income might be way over the provincial minimum wage, which is at Rp 800,000 a month,‘ Bungaran said.
Meanwhile, North Sumatra Legislative Council deputy of Commission E on welfare affairs, Ristiawaty, said he was skeptical of the regulation‘s power to reduce the number of beggars in the province.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (4 Agustus 2007)
