Bukit Asam Owes Rp209bn in Taxes

TEMPO.CO, Palembang – The district government of Muara Enim, South Sumatra, asks state-owned coalminer PT Bukit Asam Coal Mine (Persero) Tbk (IDX: PTBA) to  immediately pay tax arrears amounting to Rp209 billion.

Amrullah, Muara Enim's head of revenue department, said Bukit Asam initially had an arrear for property taxes in the plantation, forestry, and mining sectors for the 2011-2013 period, amounting to Rp299.7 billion. The miner then paid Rp144.2 billion, but the Rp155.4 billion remainder is still unpaid. Due to lack of clarity on when the payment would be made, Bukit Asam was fined.

Bukit Asam corporate secretary Joko Pramono admitted that the miner has tax arrears to be paid to the government of Muara Enim. But he insisted that the arrear is unintentional and not the product of the company's negligence.

Bukit Asam, he said, believes that there is an unreasonable increase in tax bill the company must pay compared to previous years. There is an estimated increase of four times, which we think is very unnatural," Joko told Tempo yesterday.

Joko said that the company had requested the Government Muara Enim to be patient while the company awaits the final ruling from the Tax Court. The company had filed for a tax appeal after judging that the tax bill calculated by the Prabumulih Tax Office differs from the company's calculations.  

PARLIZA HENDRAWAN (PALEMBANG)