TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of laborers under the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FSPMI), and the Labour Party launched a protest against the implementation of tax amnesty bill in front of the Constitutional Court (MK) in Central Jakarta on Friday, July 22, 2016.
The laborers also filed a judicial review request to the Constitutional Court, demanding removals of six articles in the newly-passed law, based on Article 27 and Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution on the equality of citizens before the law.
"Today, we filed a judicial review request against the Tax Amnesty Bill," Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), revealed on Friday, July 22, 2016, in Jakarta.
Iqbal explained that reasons motivating the laborers to file the judicial review include the unfairness of the tax amnesty bill for the laborers as taxpayers. In addition, the tax amnesty bill prioritizes the economic growth, instead of the law enforcement.
The KSPI, Iqbal added, also viewed that repatriated funds resulted from the tax amnesty law implementation would be illegal, since the bill violated the 1945 Constitution. Furthermore, Iqbal claimed that articles related to the confidentiality of information related to the tax amnesty program violated the 1945 Constitution.
Lastly, according to Iqbal, the tax amnesty law could be used as a legal basis for money laundering.
"We're representing tax payers. Laborers pay taxes every month from their salary," Iqbal said. "Meanwhile, those delinquent taxpayers are being spared."
FAUZY DZULFIQAR | BUDI RIZA
