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Govt will not extend first period of tax amnesty: Minister
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Cutting: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (second right) in a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission XI on Aug. 31 in Senayan, Jakarta. The meeting discussed a budget cut and the progress of the tax amnesty program. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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inance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati asserted on Tuesday the government would not extend the first period of the tax amnesty program.
She was speaking in response to an online petition signed by several parties, which suggested that the government extend the first period of the tax pardon program due to its weak realization.
"The implementation of this program is based on a law. A petition cannot annul the law. We will listen and see what will happen on the field," Sri Mulyani said at the State Palace on Tuesday. She referred to Law No.11/2016 on Tax Amnesty, which was approved by the House of Representatives on June 28.
Earlier, tax observer Yustinus, who is also the executive director for the Center for Indonesian Taxation Analysis, made a petition posted on change.org, through which he urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to extend the first period of the tax amnesty.
The government hopes the first period of the tax amnesty program, which began on July 1 and runs until the end of September, can attract a large number of participants. Its second period is scheduled from Oct. 1 to the end of December.
According to the 2016 Tax Amnesty Law, in the first period of the program, participating taxpayers who repatriate and declare their assets will get redemption with a rate of 2 and 4 percent respectively.
"With the extension of the first period, taxpayers will have an opportunity to make better preparations to benefit the tax amnesty offered," Yustinus explained in his petition. (ebf)
