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Govt seeks help from religious leaders to promote tax amnesty
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Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (left) and taxation director general Ken Dwijugeasteadi prepare to attend a hearing that will discuss the tax amnesty, among other issues, at the House of Representatives. (Antara Photo/Puspa Perwitasari)
F
inance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she expects religious leaders to play a greater role in encouraging people to avail themselves of the tax amnesty.
Sri Mulyani on Monday attended a public campaign event held by the directorate general of taxation and gave a speech in front of leaders and members of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI). A session for Muslims was scheduled for the afternoon.
In her speech, Sri Mulyani said raising public awareness about the tax amnesty was the government’s biggest task in making the country more prosperous and fair.
“This is a very heavy task to take on, and one of the important things to help [us succeed] is to collect sufficient taxes. That’s why we are using this opportunity to explain [the tax amnesty],” she said.
As the tax amnesty has entered the third and final phase, which will end on March 31, Sri Mulyani said the government would continue to raise awareness about the program among a wider scope of professions and practitioners in various economic sectors.
Meanwhile, PGI representative Rev. Darwin Lumbantobing raised hopes that similar public campaigns could be held by tax authorities outside Jakarta, as the organization had millions of adherents across the country.
PGI claims that its membership represents 80 percent of all Christians in Indonesia, as it has 88 churches with more than 15 million people, including a strong presence in North Sumatra and North Sulawesi. (bbn)
