REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- CEO of Republika Penerbit, Arys Hilman, confirmed Tere Liye decision to stop publishing his books.
"Many people asked and I confirm that it's true Republika Penerbit have agreed with Tere Liye to stop publishing his books," said CEO of Republika Penerbit, Arys Hilman, Wednesday.
Arys deplored Tere Liye's decision since he is a productive writer who always created valuable stories. His novels taught people about struggle, love, justice, patience, and honesty. "We also feel the unfairness of tax treatment for authors compared to other professions. We stand together with Tere Liye," he said.
The campaign "no tax on knowledge" has failed in publishing world, as in the press, Arys stated. From the authors to the readers are taxable. "As a reader you need to pay taxes when purchasing a book. But you don't need to pay taxes in watching circus and fashion show, or entering karaoke and pub," he explained.
Despite stopping books publishing, Tere Liye will remain active in literacy world through non-taxable media, such as Facebook. "But Tere Liye's departure left us deeply lost," Arys said.
Novelist Tere Liye decided to stop publishing all of his books in Republika Penerbit and Gramedia Pustaka Utama since July 2017. His decision was taken due to unfair tax treatment for authors and lack of government response to this case.