TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government will relax administrative requirements for the tax amnesty in its first period which will end September following complaints from business owners who deem the timeframe too tight. The leniency will apply only until December.

“We want to emphasize that the law stipulates them [business owners] to simply declare [their assets] and pay [retribution fees] according to the applicable rate,” Finance Ministry Sri Mulyani told reporters Thursday at the Presidential Complex, after meeting with businessmen.

Sri Mulyani added that those who declare their assets in the month of September will still be charged with 2 percent retribution fee even though they repatriate and complete administrative requirements later in December. The provisions will be set forth in a ministerial regulation.

“For clarity’s sake, I will issue some kind of ministerial regulation. However, basically, according to the spirit of the law, they have to repatriate [their assets], first and foremost,” Sri Mulyani said.

President Joko Widodo has agreed to relax administrative requirements for tax amnesty. Business owners are still required to declare their assets before October 1, 2016, to enjoy the lowest rate of retribution fees. The administrative issues and asset repatriation may be carried out later before the end of December.

ISTMAN MP