TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Financial Services Authority's (OJK) board of commissioners' chairman Muliaman Hadad said Indonesians living in Singapore are still enthusiastic to join the tax amnesty program, despite the news that Singaporean banks will file police reports against Indonesian citizens who repatriate their investments funds.
Hadad said the OJK has met with three banks affiliated with Singapore on September 21: OCBC NISP, UOB and DBS, to explain about the situation.
"We are happy because they have good will to cooperate. In fact, I received information the enthusiasm of Indonesians in Singapore remains high," he said last weekend.
Since meeting with the three banks, Hadad said the amount of repatriation from Singapore reached Rp1.2 trillion in the past week. Meanwhile, the tax retribution from Indonesians living in Singapore reached Rp2 trillion.
Hadad said the OJK will continue to encourage repatriation by socializing the tax amnesty program, especially to the Singapore authorities.
"The Tax Directorate General has opened a branch in our embassy there and the enthusiasm is huge," he said.
Meanwhile from within the country, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Roeslani Rosan Perkasa invites members to register together with him to join the tax amnesty program on September 27.
The Kadin also asked President Joko Widodo to extend the first period of the amnesty, which has the lowest retribution fee. The first period is scheduled to end in September, but Kadin has asked the period extended until December. Rosan believes the extension will have a positive impact.
Bank Mandiri yesterday announced to have received tax amnesty proceeds of Rp7.37 trillion per September 23. The proceeds include Rp6.64 trillion retribution and Rp731 billion repatriated funds.
CHITRA PARAMAESTI | ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI | GHOIDA RAHMAH
