Tangerang may lose Rp20b in tax

JAKARTA (JP): The mayoralty of Tangerang will lose Rp 20 billion (US$1.8 million) in income from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following the government's plan to hand over the airport's management to foreign firms.

Tangerang Mayor M. Thamrin claimed that if the airport were to be managed by foreign firms, it would be difficult to ask them to pay mayoralty taxes.

The mayoralty's revenue from the airport had been generated from parking fees, restaurant taxes and the airport's back entrance fees.

"We will discuss this problem with the central government. We need the funds to pay our employees and finance development projects here," Thamrin told Antara.

The president of the airport's current operator state-owned PT Angkasa Pura II, Yayoen Wahyoedi, revealed recently that the operators of an airport in Paris, France and Schippol Airport in the Netherlands became the preferred bidders to manage Soekarno- Hatta airport. (jun)