Pertamina faces land seizure

Pertamina faces land seizure

TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang property tax office has threatened
to seize a 33.2 hectare plot of land belonging to state oil and
gas company Pertamina in Pondok Cabe Udik, Pamulang, if the firm
fails to pay tax arrears of Rp 6.41 billion (US$754,117), an
official said on Tuesday.

Djunaidi AB-Ham, who heads the property tax office, said on
Monday that Pertamina owed Rp 6.5 billion in unpaid taxes as of
April last year.

He said a land broker named Beny Sumampau that paid Rp 81
million of the arrears so that he could proceed with some
unspecified administrative procedures at the National Land
Agency's Tangerang office.

"As the owner of the land, Pertamina is obliged to pay the
remaining Rp 6.41 billion," Djunaidi said.

He said Pertamina failed to respond to several written
warnings requesting payment of the arrears.

"We will seize the land and auction it off if Pertamina
continues to ignore us," he said. (41/jun)