Gov`t to Involve Foreign Investigators over Offshore Assets
27 April 2016 09:32 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government will involve international agencies to track offshore assets owned by Indonesians. The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) Muhammad Yusuf said he has coordinated with international financial intelligence agencies that participate in The Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Unit, particularly to track assets in tax havens.
Yusuf also claimed that the PPATK has similar data with the Panama Papers which contain the list of persons owning assets of shell companies in tax havens. “There are public officials, professionals and legal entities,” he said yesterday at the House of Representatives Building.
Yusuf said that the findings have to be investigated to find out the motives of setting up shell companies or placing assets in tax havens. “Whether it is used to avoid tax or not, it must be proven,” he said.
Yusuf, however, admitted that it will not be easy to repatriate the assets. He said that according to Tax Law, it would take six months to prove just one case. Hence, he said that the enactment of Tax Amnesty Bill will expedite the repatriation of funds. “Still, the policy should never omit prevention and eradication of money laundering.”
Earlier, the Governor of Bank Indonesia Agus Martowardojo predicted that the amount of offshore funds owned by Indonesians reaches Rp3,147 trillion. Some 40 percent of which were generated from illegal activities. Around 30 percent were obtained from drug dealing, terrorist funding and money laundering, Agus said. While 10 percent were obtained from corruption conduct.
“We could only repatriate 60 percent from tax amnesty [program],” Agus said, who predicted the repatriated funds to reach Rp560 trillion and generate Rp47.5 trillion in taxes.
In a hearing with the House’s Finance Commission yesterday, Police’s General Inspection Inspector Comr. Gen. Dwi Priyatno reiterated that Tax Amnesty Bill could contradict the Law on Money Laundering and tax policies. He referred to article 22 paragraph 2 and 3, which prohibit the distribution of information from taxpayers who seek amnesty. He sees that the regulation could make offshore asset tracing difficult. “We need a mechanism to prevent conspiracy and misuse of authority,” he said.
Deputy Chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Alexander Marwata also said that Tax Amnesty Bill should not be used to pardon corruptors and write off their assets. Alex reiterated that of all offshore funds, around 10 percent were obtained through corruption. “Should it be pardoned?”.
DEVY ERNIS | INGE KLARA | GHOIDA RAHMAH | FERY F