'TVRI' levies (2)

'TVRI' levies (2)

From Republika

The Indonesian consumer institute (YLKI) deplores the use of officials from Bakorstanasda, the regional stability coordination agency, to collect television levies.

Mass collection of these levies should be based on legal regulations, in the absence of which the community is entitled to refuse making the payment.

Many members of the community have refused to pay TVRI levies because the collection is based on a presidential decree and not on law.

What the government should do is issue a law in support of the TVRI levies instead of calling in Bakorstanasda. The involvement of this agency shows that the government is reacting in a disproportionate way to solve the problem. It is feared that this action will give rise to new problems.

When a community becomes critical and law-conscious, a security approach is not the solution. Trying to intimidate the community into paying TVRI levies, by the inclusion of Armed Forces members, will only give rise to negative feelings toward the official personnel who stand on the right side of the law.

Therefore the Armed Forces should ask themselves whether it is right for them to be included if the action is only intended to scare the community into paying the levies.

YLKI is convinced that if the government has a legal basis for collecting TVRI levies, the community will pay them. After all the community is fairly obedient in paying other taxes which are backed by legal regulations.

ZUMROTIN KS

YLKI board

Jakarta