Hoteliers encouraged to lodge formal complaints to tax offices

Hoteliers encouraged to lodge formal complaints to tax offices

JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng
yesterday prodded hoteliers to lodge formal complaints against
provincial tax officials who deter them from installing
computerized adminsitation systems at their hotels.

"I know that tax officials in several provinces have
discouraged hotels from computerizing their administration as
they were afraid of losing the opportunity for malfeasance which
has so far been made possible through data manipulation," Andi
told reporters after opening a seminar and exhibition on hotel
systems at Hotel Indonesia yesterday.

He said that hoteliers could lodge complaints with the
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI).

He said that electronic data processing systems will improve
the efficiency of hotel operations, will make customer service
much easier and smoother and will produce more accurate data.

Andi, however, refused to mention the provinces where tax
officials had discouraged hotels from computerzing their
administration.

Andi also said that his office fully supports the suggestion
of the hotel industry that the price hotel's pay for electricity
should be the same as factories.

"I agree that hotels should be classified as industrial users
with regard to the electricity tariffs and not as luxury house
customers which are charged much higher rates," he said.

The state-owned electricity company PLN classifies electricity
usages into three categories-- housing, industry/business and
public/government offices. Electricity usage for industry costs
less than for housing.(icn)