P

resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other top officials submitted their annual tax forms (SPT) in drop boxes provided at the Finance Ministry in Jakarta on Monday.

Together with Yudhoyono, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Taufik Kiemas, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Bank Indonesia Governor Darmin Nasution and Constitutional Court chairman Mahfud M.D. also dropped off their forms, followed by all ministers in the second United Indonesia Cabinet.

“Paying taxes is very important for the country. The government has the duty to develop the country and provide welfare for the people. To do that, we need a lot of money and the highest revenue for the government comes from the taxation sector,” Yudhoyono said.

“The more discipline the people have in paying their taxes, the more development and welfare we can provide,” he said.

Lastly, Yudhoyono requested that all tax officers provide the best services to tax payers and avoid any misconduct that might lead to legal problems like corruption.

“Tax officers must do their jobs within legal procedures. There must be no illicit practices or corruption,” he said.

Agus said in a speech that the Tax Directorate had made strides in bureaucratic reform over the past several years.

“That achievement is reflected through a public survey conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK]. We got 7.65 out of 10, above the minimum standard set by the commission of 6,” he said.

Last year, the office also received a good mark, 3.79 out of 4, in the tax payers’ satisfaction survey conducted by the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB).

Agus said the Tax Directorate was committed to increasing the state’s revenue from taxes. In 2011, the government received Rp 872.6 trillion (US$95.11 billion) in taxes, or 99.3 percent of the government’s target.

This year, the directorate is aiming to boost its collected taxes to Rp 1,032 trillion, or 78 percent of the nation’s total revenues.

Agus claimed that the tax office was committed to increasing tax revenue. In 2011, total tax revenue reached Rp 872.6 trillion, or 99.3 percent of the target set by the government.

To secure this year’s tax revenues, the tax office has launched several strategic programs, including the National Tax Survey (SPN), exploring potential revenues from certain sectors, improving administration for businesspeople and educating small- and medium-size enterprises.

“The coming of the President and other top officials today to submit their tax forms is a show of the state institutions’ obedience to their tax obligations. I hope this can set a good example for all citizens,” Agus said.

To make the form submission easier and simpler, the tax office has provided drop boxes in strategic locations across the country and utilized post offices to facilitate the submission. The office has also introduced electronic filing, which can be done on the office’s official website.

He said he agreed with Yudhoyono that tax officers should operate within the law to ensure the public did not doubt the success of bureaucratic reform at the tax office.