Citizens' rights

In every opportunity I always ask myself: What do I pay tax for? Whither does the money collected from the tax go? What benefit do taxpayers get from the tax they pay? Why can't we enjoy the facilities derived from the proceeds of tax?

One can imagine how tremendous would it be if every taxpayer were to raise the same questions and to doubt the benefits of paying tax.

Tax is an obligation that must be paid by every citizen because he or she reaps benefits from doing so. But what about the rights of citizens? Has the government paid attention to them? Why do we have to pay a very high price only because the government has wrongly administered the state? Why have several citizens who inflicted losses to the state received special treatment, while we have to bear the cost? And the most ruinous point is: Why does a financial institution, in this case the central bank in which we had trust, commit an infraction? Why do we have to spend "one cent more" for every loss brought about by the government?

If citizens' rights are neglected, isn't it perhaps time we reconsidered our obligations?

Isn't it the government's duty to organize the state well? Isn't it the government's task to provide security to its citizens? It's time now for every citizen to be aware of his/her rights, not only of his/her obligations. It's time now for the government to be more correct and serious in administering the state, so that the taxes we pay are beneficial to the people. It is to this end that we pay tax. This moral appeal is not intended to provoke. We are quite aware of the current government's capacity. We don't demand too much.

TITA MUSTIKAHATI

Jakarta