Govt Urged To Pursue Tax Dodgers Mentioned in Pandora Papers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) director Bhima Yudhistira called on the government to immediately establish a special task force and conduct an investigation into tax evasions following the publishing of the Pandora Papers. 

The Pandora Papers are the largest trove of leaked data exposing tax haven secrecy in history, which provide a rare window into the hidden world of offshore finance, casting light on the financial secrets of some of the world's richest.

“The people mentioned in the Pandora Papers can be summoned for questioning and bring evidence,” said Bhima to Tempo on October 4. 

He believed that the Indonesians incriminated in the paper can undergo taxpayer inspection if their state official health report (LHKPN) and financial-transaction report do not coincide with the facts available. 

Indonesian figures mentioned in the report are Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Bhima believed if the state officials were unable to account for the sources of their wealth with credible evidence they should resign from their positions as a moral responsibility.

He cited the previous Panama Papers report that incriminated a prime minister who eventually was ordered to step down by a supreme court. There is also the Spanish Minister of Industries who resigned after being incriminated in the Panama Papers that was released globally in 2016. 

Bhima lamented the fact that a number of people mentioned in the Panama Papers are still free to conduct business activities and even hold government positions sans any legal consequences.

Read: Airlanga, Luhut Respond to Pandora Papers Report

CAESAR AKBAR