Finance ministry appeals

The Ministry of Finance is appealing to the community to refrain from responding to offers of books on government tax regulations by persons on behalf of the ministry.

The books are being offered by persons who claim they have been assigned to do so by H. Soepatmo, who is chief of the laws and legal matters bureau of the finance ministry's Finance Education and Training Board (BPLK) on Jl. Purnawarman 19, Kebayoran Baru, P.O. Box 4807, Jakarta 12048, telephone 7219542. The books constitute a set of four and contain Presidential Decision No. 24 on Organization/Procedure of Development, Compilation of Follow-up Steps of Regulations on Sales Tax, Income Tax 1996 and Budget Management Administration. The books are sold at the high price of Rp 3,100,000. From the form, the letterhead, the contents of the letter and the identity of the sender, it can be ascertained that the letter was made by an irresponsible person with the aim of deceit. The employees at BPLK do not know a work unit dealing with laws and legal matters, or an official by the name of H. Soepatmo. There is also an error in the letter regarding BPLK's address.

People are worried by the manner in which the books are sold because it is done with some coercion, as was the case at the public works regional office in East Nusatenggara and the regional administration offices in southeast, west and south Aceh. The con men acting in Aceh have been captured and are being interrogated by the police. In this context, the BPLK has issued an official statement that it has never offered the books on tax regulations and has appealed to the community not to comply with such offers. If need be, people should report to the authorities of the BPLK. Although some members of the syndicate network have been caught in Bandung recently, the fraud by similar methods is still taking place in a number of provinces.

AGUS HARYANTO

Ministry of Finance

Jakarta