Audit Soeharto's companies

Audit Soeharto's companies

Allow me to propose to Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto
and Director General of Taxation Anshari Ritonga that they should
have the audacity to audit companies whose shares are controlled
by the Soehartos, the family of Indonesia's former president, in
the interests of taxation.

The shares of these companies may be controlled by the
children, sons/daughters-in-law, grandchildren, in-laws and
siblings of both Soeharto and his late wife Tien. The audit
should be carried out with respect to the foundations controlled
and managed by both Soeharto, Tien and the companies owned by
Soeharto's cronies such as Muhammad Hasan, Sudono Salim, Prayogo
Pangestu and so forth.

This audit must be carried out not on the basis of any revenge
but rather as a proper procedure in the context of enforcing the
tax laws correctly. The result of this audit will show whether or
not these companies have met their tax obligations in accordance
with the prevailing laws. If they haven't, then a tax decision
(SKP) must be issued and the tax owing must be collected.

If necessary, a distress warrant may be issued in the tax
collection or the assets of these companies confiscated for the
payment of outstanding taxes. In conjunction with this, expert
personnel from the Directorate General of Taxation and from the
Agency for Financial and Development Auditing must be involved.

I myself do not believe that while Soeharto was in power,
especially when Fuad Bawazier was director general of taxation,
these companies were properly audited. Fuad was very afraid of
Soeharto and maintained a close relationship with the Soehartos
and their cronies.

It is my hope that the present minister of finance and the
current director general of taxation need not fear anybody any
more and must enforce the tax laws properly and indiscriminately.
This will show that the Habibie administration commands respect
because it is clean, honest and free from corrupt, collusive and
nepotistic practices. This, of course, needs proving.

Now, about PT Timor Putra Nasional (TPN), a company the
majority of whose shares are controlled by Tommy Soeharto. It is
obvious that this company enjoys a tax-exemption facility
pursuant to Presidential Instruction No. 2/1996.

The granting of this tax-exemption means that the outstanding
tax is borne by the government, which is another way of saying
that a tax subsidy has been granted to TPN.

It also means that TPN has received a grant or a present from
the state in the form of this tax subsidy. Article 4 of Law No.
10/1994 on income tax stipulates that a grant or a present given
to another party without any blood relations shall constitute a
tax object. So, has the income tax been properly imposed in this
case. Please look into this matter. The people are waiting and
watching.

SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO

Jakarta