Sutiyoso wants tax amnesty

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso insisted that he would stick to the plan to write off unpaid taxes worth Rp 14.59 billion (US$1.5 million) as they had essentially become bad debts.

"The write-off can be done for delinquent taxpayers, whose payments have been overdue more than five years," Sutiyoso said, referring to Bylaw No. 4/2002 on city finances.

The bylaw, Sutiyoso added, also rules that the write-off could be carried out on several conditions, for example, as delinquent taxpayers had passed away or had been declared bankrupt by a court.

Councillor Radja Natal Sitinjak of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction opposed the plan, urging the administration to do its utmost to collect the taxes.

Similarly, another councillor Gandhi Sulhani of the Golkar Party faction told the administration to investigate each case thoroughly to prevent corrupt officials from taking benefits. --JP