REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Amril Jambak *)

The finding of the Special Committee (Pansus) for Monitoring and Evaluation of Cultivation Rights (HGU), IU permit, HTI, HPHTI, HPH, Mining Permit, Environmental Permit (Amdal, UPL, UKL) DPRD Riau suggests that there are companies that are in tax arrears amounted 104 trillion Rupiah. This is a very big achievement of legislative institution in provincial level.

In fact, the chair of the committee, Suhardiman Ambi has released a report saying that 540 companies are plantation companies, 60 are industrial plantation companies and 200 are palm oil factories. Those companies have been in arrears since 4 years ago. However, around 30 companies are in initials. They are DP, CS, JS, KAT, MSAL, WT, BBU, PS, PAL, SB, PM, HPM, DAP, PM, ARP, AI, BTR, BIM, BSN, MMK, ESP, ES, SAW, RKSS, SB, PM, HPM, DAP, ARP and AI. Because of these companies, the state has suffered 22 trillion Rupiah loss per year. The government should receive 31 trillion Rupiah, yet actually the government has only received around 9 trillion Rupiah.

Suhardiman said that the findings are the analysis result from a credible team appointed by Local House of Representative (DPRD). The team has spent 1 year to calculate the loss. Other than hundreds company stated above, there are still dozens mining companies and HPH forest companies that have not been calculated.

In addition, according to Special (Pansus) recommendations, Commission A of DPRD has reported 15 companies to Riau Police. Then 10 reports have also been sent to PPNS Local Forestry Ministry (Dinas Kehutanan). Other 10 reports have also been sent to Riau’s Court. Lastly, 3 reports have been sent to Environment Body (Badan Lingkungan Hidup/BLH) in Riau province.

Tax plays a great role in a country’s economy, especially in order to support the development. Tax is one of revenues gained by government to pay all expenses including developmental expenses.

The money from the tax is used for various purposes such as to fund war, law enforcement, assets securitization, infrastructure building, public works, subsidy, and the country’s operational. It is also used to pay the loan including the interests as well as to provide public service and social welfare that include education, health, pension, unemployment incentives, public transportation, electricity, water, and sanitary.

Getting back to the Pansus’ findings, even though these recommendations have been made to be followed up, the stakeholders in Bumi Lancang Kuning (Riau Province, red) have not shown any efforts to resolve the issue of tax robber that has made trillion Rupiah loss.

The question is whether all these findings can be used as references to execute the companies with tax loan or maybe the Pansus did not give the copy of the lists to so that the law enforcement officials cannot haunt those companies. This must be answered by the Chair of Pansus Suhardiman Ambi.

It is true that the Special Committee (Pansus) for Monitoring and Evaluation of Cultivation Rights (HGU), IU permit, HTI, HPHTI, HPH, Mining Permit, Environmental Permit (Amdal, UPL, UKL) DPRD Riau has already sent all reports to the authorized bodies, yet this problem seems to remain untouched and there no indication of effort to haunt the Tax “Robber” companies in Riau Province.

In my opinion, if Directorate General of Taxation (DJP) in Riau Area together with the law enforcement officials commit to force the companies to pay their tax loan, the money will soon become the revenue of the state that can be used or redistribute to people of Indonesia.

Isn’t it easy? It is indeed. DJP Riau Area as an authorized body according to Financial Minister’s Decree Nr. 234/ PMK.01/2015, is authorized for formulating and executing taxation policy. In order to accomplish such mission, DJP has some functions such as taxation policy formulation, taxation policy execution, creating norms, standards, procedures, and criteria in taxation, providing technical support and evaluation in terms of taxation, conducting monitoring, evaluation, and reporting for taxation matters, conducting administrative function of DJP, and other function given by the Minister of Finance.

Without any finding from the Pansus, DJP Riau must have had the complete and accurate list of which companies that have tax loan but why there can be companies operating in Riau that are in tax arrears for 4 years. This must become public skepticism.

However, we all must hope that the findings by the Special Committee (Pansus) for Monitoring and Evaluation of Cultivation Rights (HGU), IU permit, HTI, HPHTI, HPH, Mining Permit, Environmental Permit (Amdal, UPL, UKL) DPRD Riau will soon be followed up.

At last, we must have faith that the 104 trillion Rupiah tax loans in Riau Province can be paid that will become country’s revenue to be used for the sake of Indonesian people.

We look forward to the commitment of Regional Office of DJP Riau and the Law Enforcement authority. We all also hope that the process will be transparent so that it will not create any prejudice. This job is not difficult if all parties are serious and hand in hand to haunt the tax “robber”. Finally, a big hope to the troubled companies to pay their loan because tax is the interest of the public.

*) Social, economic, and cultural issues observer.

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