Investigate Arbamass company

Investigate Arbamass company

From Bisnis Indonesia

I read a report in a newspaper saying that PT Arbamass, owned
by Arie Sigit Soeharto and Emir Baramuli, has obtained permission
from Warsito Rasman, director general for Development of Regional
Autonomy, to monopolize the sale of alcoholic drinks in Indonesia
as of Feb. 19, 1994. According to Emir Baramuli, the sale of
alcoholic drinks is controlled by attaching a sticker on the
bottle. The sticker costs Rp 600 to Rp 700 and PT. Arbamass gets
15 percent commission from the sale of the stickers. The sale of
the strong drinks is recorded at about 250 million liters a year.

What surprises me is that after about 50 years of
independence, we turn back to the colonial period, in which the
sale of alcoholic drinks is contracted to a private company.
Can't the government, with all its instruments, control the sale
of the stuff? Or is it only a means of creating a new source of
income? An invented fortune?

This should call for the attention of Director General of Tax
Fuad Bawazier that based on Law No 10/1994 concerning Income Tax,
article 4 paragraph (1) letter P which stipulates that the object
of the income tax is the addition of net wealth that is derived
from untaxed income. So it is appropriate for the government to
investigate the investments of PT Arbamass to see whether the
investment of the company is derived from taxed or untaxed
income.

The government should avoid double taxation scheme.

SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO

Jakarta