By: Norman Triangga *)
Jakarta, CIDISS – Unnoticed, the present situation is slowly but surely Indonesia heading suicide in the field of finance as a source of state funding. The main source of statehood continuity funding about 80% from taxes is getting worse. This is evidenced by the low tax revenues RI 2015 only reached 81.5% of the target. This is evidenced by Indonesian 2015 realization tax revenues were lower 2015 only reached 81.5% of the target. The tax revenue even reached only 57% until the end of October.
The phenomenon of lower tax revenues Indonesia can’t be separated from the lack of public awareness to pay taxes. The low level of public awareness, not only due to the lack of knowledge about the taxpayer, but also because some people were deliberately trying to avoid the taxpayer (tax avoidance).
Recently, the public shocked by the case of Panama Papers. Perhaps the report named Panama Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a scourge for the world public officials, politicians, the superrich, and celebrities who have been named in the document. The reason is, these documents reveal how the officials, politics, and the superrich hide his wealth through the establishment of “shell companies” in tax haven countries. That is no less surprising and interesting is the presence of Indonesian citizens who are in the list.
Panama Papers case is a mirror, the economic behavior of money laundering and tax evasion in the manner and form new, more sophisticated and cryptic. We can’t blame the figure Jürgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca, who founded the company in 1977. It’s just that we have to learn from these problems because Panama Papers more or less has showed how much potential tax avoidance occurs, including in Indonesia.
This means that the state should make efforts to prevent tax avoidance and conduct law enforcement efforts to collect taxes on income or wealth hidden in tax haven countries. Furthermore, efforts to put pressure on countries or jurisdictions tax haven should be increased to force them to cooperate in terms of information disclosure.
Together, let us ask from the heart to the individual self, whether we have understood the tax? Do we already have the willingness to pay taxes? Take on the role of the tax with full awareness is a form of mutual assistance in beauty for the development of the country. Tax is not a gift or bonus. No one likes to pay taxes, can rarely be said that voluntary as well as people pay zakat or pay the electricity dues. But the tax should still be there and be strong, because the continuity of the life of this country comes from taxes. [NT]
*) CIDISS Contributor
