How FIFA’s $20B Private-Equity Plan Nearly Broke Soccer

 

Indonesia's palm oil export ban heats up vegetable oil market

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas URBAIN, with Manel MENGUELTI in Paris, 30 April 2022 

Indonesia's decision to suspend palm oil exports is designed to bring down prices
and limit shortages domestically, but it comes amid skyrocketing prices of edible
oils and global supply shortages (AFP/Azwar Ipank) (Azwar Ipank)

Indonesia's decision to suspend palm oil exports in the face of domestic shortages has pushed vegetable oil prices to new highs, further tightening a market already on edge due to the war in Ukraine and global warming. 

The prices of palm, soybean, European rapeseed and even its Canadian GMO counterpart, canola oil, have reached historic highs following Indonesia's announcement on Wednesday. 

"We already had problems with soybeans in South America, with canola in Canada," said Philippe Chalmin, an economics professor at Paris-Dauphine University in France, stating that both crops had been severely affected by extended droughts. 

Then came devastation for the "sunflowers in Ukraine" due to Russia's destructive invasion, he added. 

Palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil in the world, and Indonesia accounts for 35 percent of global exports, according to James Fry, chairman of LMC consulting firm. 

Indonesia's export ban is designed to bring down prices in the country and limit shortages, according to authorities. 

But Chalmin said the move "comes at the worst time." 

"The rise in prices dates back to last year already and it is exacerbated by the Ukrainian conflict," he explained. 

Rich Nelson of the agricultural market research and trading firm Allendale said "the industry believes it'll last maybe for one month, perhaps two." 

But in the meantime, prices are skyrocketing in a market that was "already accelerated," he said. 

Unlike other oilseeds, palm fruit does not keep once picked and has to be processed immediately, Fry said. 

Indonesia's palm oil storage system, which was already holding substantial reserves, is now under further stress, Fry said. 

Vicious cycle 

Even though the price of vegetable oil, in addition to multiple other agricultural commodities, has been rising for months, demand has yet to slow. 

"It's difficult to ration demand for food commodities with higher prices," said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX Financial. 

Palm oil, which is used heavily in processed food such as instant noodles and baked goods, is also present in other consumer products, such as personal care items and cosmetics. 

"Eventually it will trickle down," said Paul Desert-Cazenave of consulting firm Grainbow, "but it's still too early to measure price increases to consumers." 

In the short term, the only oilseed that might be able to provide some relief on the vegetable oil market is the soybean. 

The United States and Brazil, the world's two top soybean exporters, still have available stock, even though more shipments from the countries would only have a marginal impact on edible oil prices. 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last month that it expects soybean acreage to increase more than 4 percent from last year, while corn would shrink by a comparable amount. 

The world's top rapeseed exporter, Canada, meanwhile said Tuesday that it expected a seven percent decline in acreage devoted to the GMO rapeseeds used in canola oil. 

Analysts and economists say they see a need for public policy concerning the food crisis, since in addition to food, vegetable oils are also widely used in biofuels. 

Based on the current crisis "we're going to see more pressure on countries to reduce their biodiesel blending mandates, and renewable diesel mandates," Suderman said. 

"That's going to take time," he warned, "but that's ultimately where you're going to get your biggest demand destruction." 

Europe passed a directive in 2018 excluding palm oil from renewable energy targets by 2030. Some of the bloc's countries, including France, have already stopped using it. 

Despite the current turmoil, Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's second-largest exporter, have maintained their respective programs blending palm oil in their biofuels. 

To make matters worse, many of the major palm oil importers, mainly Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have seen their currencies depreciate significantly in recent months, said Michael Zuzolo, president of Global Commodity Analytics and Consulting. 

Some major oilseed exporters such as the United States and Brazil have, meanwhile, experienced the opposite, with the dollar reaching multi-year highs. 

"This is kind of the worst-case scenario starting to develop," said Zuzolo. 

Putting importers in a "negative feedback loop where they're going to have more and more difficulty keeping supplies ample, that's the potential tragedy we're walking ourselves into."

Chinese citizen journalist jailed for Wuhan virus reporting

Yahoo – AFP, 28 December 2020 

Authoroties said former Chinese lawyer and citizen journalist
Zhang Zhan had spread "False remarks" online.

A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed for four years Monday for her reporting from Wuhan as the Covid-19 outbreak began, her lawyer said, almost a year after details of an "unknown viral pneumonia" surfaced in the central China city. 

Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer who arrived at court in a wheelchair, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" during her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak. 

Her live reports and essays were shared on social media platforms in February, grabbing the attention of authorities, who have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as they curb criticism of the government's response to the outbreak. 

Beijing has congratulated itself for "extraordinary" success in controlling the virus inside its borders, with an economy on the rebound while much of the rest of the world stutters through painful lockdowns and surging caseloads a year on from the start of the pandemic in Wuhan. 

Controlling the information flow during an unprecedented global health crisis has been pivotal in allowing China's communist authorities to reframe the narrative in their favour, with President Xi Jinping being garlanded for his leadership by the country's ruling party. 

But that has come at a serious cost to anyone who has picked holes in the official storyline. 

The court said Zhang Zhan had spread "false remarks" online, according to one of her lawyers Zhang Keke, but the prosecution did not fully divulge its evidence in court. 

"We had no way of understanding what exactly Zhang Zhan was accused of doing," he added, describing it as "a speedy, rushed hearing." 

In return the defendant "didn't respond [to questions]... She refused to answer when the judge asked her to confirm her identity." 

The defendant's mother sobbed loudly as the verdict was read out, Ren Quanniu, another member of Zhang's defence team, told reporters who were barred from entering the court. 

Concerns are mounting over the health of 37-year-old Zhang, who began a hunger strike in June and has been force-fed via a nasal tube. 

Her legal team said her health was in decline and she suffered from headaches, dizziness and stomach pain, and that she had appeared in court in a wheelchair. 

"She said when I visited her (last week): 'If they give me a heavy sentence then I will refuse food until the very end.'... She thinks she will die in prison," Ren said before the trial. 

"It's an extreme method of protesting against this society and this environment." 

China's communist authorities have a history of putting dissidents on trial in opaque courts between Christmas and New Year in an effort to minimise Western scrutiny. 

Example made

The sentencing comes just weeks before an international team of World Health Organization experts is expected to arrive in China to investigate the origins of Covid-19. 

Zhang was critical of the early response in Wuhan, writing in a February essay that the government "didn't give people enough information, then simply locked down the city". 

"This is a great violation of human rights," she wrote. 

Rights groups and embassies have also drawn attention to her case, although diplomats from several countries were denied requests to monitor the hearing. 

"Zhang Zhan's case raises serious concerns about media freedom in China," the British embassy in Beijing said, urging "China to release all those detained for their reporting." 

Authorities "want to use her case as an example to scare off other dissidents from raising questions about the pandemic situation in Wuhan earlier this year", added Leo Lan, research and advocacy consultant at the Chinese Human Rights Defenders NGO. 

A United Nations official following the trial also expressed "deep concern" about the verdict. 

"We raised her case with the authorities throughout 2020 as an example of the excessive clampdown on freedom of expression linked to #COVID19 & continue to call for her release," the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a tweet. 

Zhang is the first of a group of four citizen journalists detained by authorities after reporting from Wuhan to face trial. 

Previous attempts by AFP to contact the other three -- Chen Qiushi, Fang Bin and Li Zehua -- were unsuccessful. 

Related Article:

"Corona 1", Reykjavik, Iceland, Mar, 2020 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - 

(>13.46 Min - Reference to the Global Coronavirus crisis)

Shoveled: Garuda Boss Fired for Smuggling Harley Davidson Bike and Brompton Bicycles

Jakarta Globe, NUR YASMIN, December 5, 2019

The disassembled parts of a smuggled Harley Davidson Shovelhead are shown 

by customs officials in Jakarta on Thursday. (B1 TV Photo)

Jakarta. Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia's president director I Gusti Ngurah Ashkara is soon to be fired for allegedly smuggling a Harley Davidson motorcycle and two Brompton bicycles, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said on Thursday.

The items were smuggled inside Garuda's brand new Airbus A330-900 Neo being delivered from its factory in Toulouse, France, in mid-November.

There were 22 passengers on the plane and four of them were Garuda directors: the president director, better known as Ari Ashkara, technical and services director Iwan Joeniarto, cargo and business development director Mohammas Iqbal and human resources director Heri Akhyar.

"As the SOE Minister, I will dismiss the Garuda president director. We will not stop there; we will look for other people who might have been involved in this case as well," Erick told a press conference in Jakarta.

The used Harley Davidson motorcycle had been disassembled prior to delivery and smuggled as parts. Customs officials found them wrapped in 15 boxes inside the plane's cargo area.

The Brompton bikes and accessories were found in three other boxes.

Erick said an audit by the customs office showed the smuggled items belonged to the president director, despite the baggage claim tags carrying different names.

Ari had instructed his subordinates to find him a classic Harley Davidson Shovelhead from the 1970s.

The used motorcycle was purchased in April 2019 with the help of a Garuda finance manager in Amsterdam.

"It's really sad that this [personal] transaction had to drag down an SOE," Erick said.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhur Binsar Pandjaitan said during a visit to Tongxiang, China, on Thursday that he fully supported Erick's decision.

"[An act like] this will hurt our investment climate," he said.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati meanwhile said smuggling the Harley and the Bromptons had cost the country up to Rp 1.5 billion ($107,000) in unpaid taxes.

"The Harley bike is valued at Rp 800 million and the Brompton bicycles cost Rp 50-60 million each," Sri Mulyani said.

"Everyone should always obey existing regulations," she told reporters.

After the Indonesian tsunami: Cashing in on the dead

The devastating tsunami has shattered the lives of thousands of people. More than 400 families have lost members — and in the hospitals, of all places, people have been cashing in on the survivors' suffering.

Deutsche Welle, 2 January 2019

A hearse in front of a hospital in Indonesia (DW/J. Küng)

When the relatives of the tsunami victims come to collect the mortal remains of their loved ones from Serang District Hospital in the province of Banten, around 150 kilometers from Java's ravaged coastal region, they are in a state of shock. Jackson Sinaga from Jakarta is one of them. He lost his nine-month-old son to the floodwaters, triggered by the collapse of the Anak Krakatoa volcano just before Christmas. "Satria was fast asleep in a rented villa on Carita Beach when the tsunami crashed through the building," he says. "It happened so fast — I didn't have time to save my little boy."

Traumatized and plagued by feelings of guilt, Jackson has come to collect the boy's lifeless body from the hospital in Serang. However, instead of being met with sympathy, the 29-year-old father is presented with a hefty bill. He's told he has to pay 800,000 rupiah (€50, $55) which he owes for the transport of the body. "In cash," the forensics department employee adds. That's a lot of money in a country where the average monthly wage is less than €240. Jackson, however, is not capable of thinking rationally, and hands over the money.

Family members of the victims are being ripped off

Three more victims' families meet outside the building. They've also been told they owe money — around four million rupiah. This despite the fact that Indonesia's Ministry of Health is paying all costs resulting from the tsunami disaster, in full, with money from the government's coffers. A debate ensues among the relatives of the dead. One of the people who've been swindled collects the receipts and promises to take them to the local authorities.

Receipts issued on forged letterhead

DW confronts the hospital with the accusations, and is invited to speak to its deputy director, Rahmat Fitriadi. When asked if the hospital knew about the illegal takings, Fitriadi bursts into tears. "Neither the management nor our doctors have charged for any services. We have nothing to do with these schemes," says Fitriadi, sobbing. The official letterhead on the receipts is forged, he continues, dabbing the tears from his eyes. "This is a tragedy for our hospital. I hope this scandal doesn't damage our reputation. We support the authorities' investigation and are providing them with all available information."

Fitradi says his hospital has nothing to do with the scam

Investigators from the provincial police in Banten interrogate doctors, forensic scientists and hospital personnel — and open a can of worms. It seem that at least 15 million rupiah have vanished into the pockets of hospital employees. So far, six of the families cheated have been identified. A forensic department employee and two people working with the emergency services have been arrested on suspicion of corruption. The authorities' investigation is ongoing.

Long jail sentences

It's nothing new in Indonesia for workers in public institutions to demand backhanders or issue illegal invoices. Traffic departments will only issue driving licenses within a reasonable time if you make an "extra payment." Teachers at public schools can be bribed to give out the answers to exam questions. President Joko Widodo has repeatedly promised to clamp down on rampant corruption. What is new is people cashing in on the misery of tsunami victims. If those accused are convicted, they could be facing life sentences; they'll certainly go to prison for at least four years.

Right now, though, for Jackson Sinaga, the arrests are of little interest. "I just hope that no more surviving relatives are swindled and met with such lack of empathy," he says. The Sinaga family has certainly lost all confidence in Serang District Hospital. Jackson's brother and sister, who were also badly injured in the tsunami, are no longer being treated at Serang, but at a hospital in Jakarta.

Lap of luxury: Indonesian jailers busted over fancy cells

Yahoo – AFP, 23 July 2018

Outside authorities found several cells that featured modern bathrooms with hot
showers, full-sized refrigerators, coffee makers, microwave ovens and stereo loudspeakers

Inmates at an Indonesian prison paid for luxury cells equipped with air conditioning, flat-screen TVs and private washrooms, anti-graft officials said, in the graft-riddled country's latest corruption scandal.

Jail staff allegedly took bribes of 200-500 million rupiah ($14,000-$35,000) from inmates to renovate cells and supply banned mobile phones or even let them temporarily leave prison, Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said.

Anti-graft agents arrested five people connected to the scandal at Sukamiskin prison, including inmates and the warden who got cash and a pair of vehicles to look the other way, it added.

A raid on Sunday turned up several cells that featured modern bathrooms with hot showers, full-sized refrigerators, coffee makers, microwave ovens and stereo loudspeakers, the KPK said.

"We apologise to the Indonesian people," Sri Puguh Budi Utami, the director general of Indonesia's prisons, told reporters late Sunday.

"We're very sorry that we still have not been able to maximise our monitoring systems."

A former tax official now serving time at Sukamiskin was once photographed watching a tennis tournament in Bali and had even travelled overseas on a fake passport when he was supposed to be in another jail.

Jail staff allegedly took bribes of 200-500 million rupiah ($14,000-$35,000) from

 inmates to renovate cells and supply banned mobile phones or even let them 

temporarily leave prison

The prison's other inmates include a former chief justice and ex-house speaker Setya Novanto, who was convicted in April of taking millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes linked to the national roll-out of government ID cards.

They were not among the inmates or prison staff arrested Sunday.

Indonesian prisons are more commonly known for their poor conditions and outbreaks of violence.

But it is an open secret that the rich and powerful can buy luxury on the inside, prompting the government to warn last year that it would jail guards or other staff caught taking bribes from inmates in exchange for special treatment.

In one of the highest-profile cases, a businesswoman imprisoned for bribery had a cell with a spring mattress, couch, refrigerator, television and air conditioning -- and adjoining karaoke room.

Malaysia's Mahathir wins shock election victory, toppling 61-yr-old regime

Yahoo – AFP, Martin Abbugao, May 9, 2018

As it became clear that Mahathir had won, supporters took to the streets
waving flags of the opposition alliance (AFP Photo/Mohd RASFAN)

Malaysia's veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 92, won a shock election victory Thursday, in a political earthquake that toppled the country's scandal-plagued premier and ousted a regime that has ruled for over six decades.

It was a stunning triumph that almost no one had predicted and ended the long hold on power of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since its birth as an independent country.

The victory capped a dramatic political comeback for Mahathir, who previously ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years, and came out of retirement to taken on Prime Minister Najib Razak after the leader became embroiled in a massive corruption scandal.

When he takes power, Mahathir will be the oldest prime minister in the world.

His victory spells big trouble for Najib -- Mahathir has vowed to bring him to justice over allegations that billions of dollars were looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which the scandal-plagued leader set up and oversaw.

But at a press conference, Mahathir vowed: "We are not seeking revenge. We want to restore the rule of law."

Mahathir's return to the political frontlines saw him throw in his lot with an opposition alliance filled with parties that he crushed while in power, and which includes jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim -- his former nemesis.

When he takes power, Mahathir Mohamad, 92, will be the oldest prime minister

in the world (AFP Photo/Manan VATSYAYANA)

As well as seizing control of the national government, several state legislatures across the country fell into opposition hands for the first time, including the highly symbolic bastion of Johor, the birthplace of Najib's party that was the lynchpin of the ruling coalition.

Official results from the Election Commission showed that Mahathir's opposition grouping Pakatan Harapan, along with an ally in the Borneo state of Sabah, had secured 115 parliamentary seats. 112 are needed to form a government. BN were on 79 seats with just a few left to count.

As it became clear that Mahathir had won, supporters took to the streets waving flags of the opposition alliance.

After polls closed earlier in the day, journalists had flocked to the headquarters of Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the lynchpin in the ruling coalition -- but he failed to turn up to give a victory speech and the media were told to leave.

Huge numbers of voters earlier flocked to the polls across the country, despite Najib having called the election on a weekday in what critics said was a bid to keep turnout down.

The BN wipeout is a disaster for Najib, who had been under pressure to score an emphatic win after the government lost the popular vote for the first time at the last elections in 2013.

The controversy surrounding 1MDB has dogged Najib since the story exploded in 2015. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund, which was set up and overseen by Najib. The leader and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing.

But in rural areas, the rising cost of living, which has hit poor Malays hard, was the main concern at the election particularly after the introduction of an unpopular sales tax in 2015.

#UPDATE Malaysia's Mahathir wins shock election victory, toppling 61-yr-old regime https://t.co/vijr5oPJud pic.twitter.com/XTDogeLUl7

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 9, 2018

VIDEO: 92-year-old former leader Mahathir is challenging the current scandal-hit Malaysian PM Najib - and it’s turning out to be one of the country’s closest-ever elections https://t.co/7qnKdpyjAP pic.twitter.com/X5NN4QFD9N

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 9, 2018

We Built a Strong Case Against Setya Novanto: KPK

Jakarta Globe, Alin Almanar, December 11, 2017

Setya Novanto has been charged with embezzling Rp 574 billion ($42 million).
(Antara Photo/Aprillio Akbar)

Jakarta. Antigraft officials said investigators had built a strong case against Setya Novanto, as they countered arguments by expert witnesses during a hearing on Monday (11/12).

Setya has filed again a pretrial motion with the South Jakarta District Court to clear him as a graft suspect. The same court ruled in late September that naming Setya as a suspect in July was "procedurally flawed" and the charges were invalid.

Three witnesses brought by Setya's lawyers to the court on Monday questioned the validity of evidence against him.

One of the witnesses, Mudzakir, a criminal law expert at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) in Yogyakarta, said the evidence against the former House of Representatives speaker was invalidated by the ruling.

According to him, the move to charge Setya again in late October was therefore based on "outdated evidence."

"It's similar to opening again an investigation that has been halted. If there's no new evidence, it can't be reopened," he said.

But a Constitutional Court ruling issued this year, cited by antigraft officials during the hearing, allows investigators to rely on evidence that was used against a suspect who has won a pretrial motion.

"A pretrial verdict shouldn't hamper investigators' efforts to handle a case," said Evi Laila Kholis, a member of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) legal bureau.

The evidence against Setya had also been "complemented," KPK officials said.

In the next days, the KPK is going to bring five witnesses to the South Jakarta District Court, whose ruling is expected on Thursday.

Setya has been charged with embezzling Rp 574 billion ($42 million) from the Rp 5.9 trillion procurement of national electronic identity cards (e-KTP) project. He can face 20 years in jail, if found guilty.

The graft case resulted in Rp 2.3 trillion state losses.

Graft Suspect Setya Novanto Resigns as House Speaker https://t.co/AuTC7ophrj pic.twitter.com/rZnWcR8rtR

— The Jakarta Globe (@thejakartaglobe) December 11, 2017

Related Article:

Setya Novanto Hospitalized After Car Crash Amid Arrest Warrant in e-KTP Case

Finances of Opposition Leader Prabowo and Other Public Figures Exposed in Paradise Papers

Jakarta Globe, Tabita Diela,November 06, 2017

Tommy Suharto, right, hands over his tax report to Ken Dwijugiasteadi, director
general for taxation at the Ministry of Finance, in September 2016. (SP Photo/
Joanito De Saojoao)

Jakarta. Three well-known public figures, including children of the late President Suharto and opposition party leader Prabowo Subianto appear in the Paradise Papers, a global investigation released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, or ICIJ, on Sunday (05/11).

The Paradise Papers put a spotlight on the trillions of dollars moved through offshore tax havens by politicians, business owners, millionaires and powerful people across the globe.

The report exposed 13.4 million leaked documents — obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared with the ICIJ — including loan agreements, financial statements, emails, trust deeds and other paperwork from over nearly 50 years from offshore law firm Appleby, Singaporean company Asiaciti Trust and official business registries in Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Lebanon, Malta, Trinidad and Tobago.

ICIJ highlighted the name of retired general and leader of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto, as well as two children of the late President Suharto, Hutomo Mandala Putra — also known as Tommy Suharto, head of Humpuss Group — and Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih for having registered companies in tax havens overseas.

The ICIJ, however, posted a disclaimer on its site, saying that the organization did not intend to suggest or imply that any people or companies included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database have broken the law or acted improperly.

The Jakarta Globe has not independently examined the documents.

"We started [combing through the data] from the beginning of this year. [There are only] 200 Indonesian names and 15 companies," Wahyu Dhyatmika, an editor for Tempo Media Group and an investigative reporter, told the Globe.

Indonesia's Tempo is one of 95 media partners that explored 13.4 million leaked files. According to Wahyu, Tempo paper and magazine will release other names one by one this week.

Wahyu said the Paradise Papers and their predecessor, the Panama Papers, come from different databases, though multiple names appear on both lists.

Naming Names

Wahyu said journalists involved in the report support a fairer tax policy for all.

"Instruments that allow countries to track the wealth of their residents must be prepared," Wahyu said.

Hestu Yoga Saksama, the tax office's spokesperson, said the government will "follow-up with the latest data and information from various sources" including the Paradise Papers, but has refused to comment on Tommy's or Prabowo's companies.

"We can't name a taxpayer specifically to the public," Hestu said, referring to secrecy rules in a 2009 law about general provisions and tax procedures and a 2016 law about tax amnesty.

Hestu, however, noted that the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) — which will begin operations in September 2018 for Indonesia — will provide more detailed, wider and verified data compared to the independent report obtained by journalists.

Tommy joined Indonesia's tax amnesty program last year. During a press photo opportunity in Jakarta in September 2016, he said his family should "make the best use of the initiative" by joining the program.

Ahok's Birthday Celebrated Widely on Social Media

Jakarta Globe, Dames Alexander Sinaga, June 29, 2017

One of numerous e-cards seen on Indonesia's social media celebrating former
Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama's 51st birthday on Thursday
(29/06). (Photo courtesy of Twitter)

Jakarta. Former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama’s 51st birthday was celebrated raucously on social media on Thursday (29/06).

Ahok's fans used the hashtag #HBDAhok51 to send the former governor — now serving his two-year sentence for blasphemy at the Police Mobile Brigade detention centerin Depok, just outside Jakarta — numerous birthday wishes on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Path.

Happy b'day Pak @basuki_btp you are the definition of a true leader! All the best Pak!#HBDAhok51 #TetapAhok pic.twitter.com/iS3hGhfFhr

— Hasfinanda (@RHasfinanda) June 28, 2017

The hashtag #TetapAhok (Forever Ahok) soon joined #HBDAhok51 on the Twitter Trends list in Indonesia.

Many of Ahok's supporters believe his two-year sentence for blasphemy was unfair and that the first Chinese-Christian governor of Jakarta in modern era was only a victim of politicians exploiting religious sentiment to promote their own interests.

No Mercy for Shady Tax Consultants: Finance Minister

Jakarta Globe, December 29, 2016

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and the director general of taxation, Ken
 Dwijugiasteadi, in conversation during the minister's impromptu visit to the
tax office in Jakarta on Wednesday (28/12). (JG Photo/Tabita)

Jakarta. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she will clamp down on tax consultants involved in tax evasion, as they are currently inundated by clients seeking their assistance to join the government's tax amnesty program.

"I've asked Mr. Ken [Dwijugiasteadi, the director general of taxes] to check out the tax identification numbers a many consultants," she told reporters on Wednesday (28/12).

"The consultants are cashing in big from the tax amnesty program. I've seen one who reported up to 30 asset declaration letters," she said.

Sri Mulyani made the comment during an impromptu visit to the headquarters of the Directorate General of Taxation in Jakarta, where she found employees from several tax consultancies submitting their clients' wealth reports.

"It's common practice in industrial countries; even individual taxpayers there use the services of tax consultants," she said. "But please don't try to lower [the value of taxpayers' assets] so they can receive the 0.5 percent tariff."

The government offers a 3 percent tariff for taxpayers who come clean on previously unreported assets abroad and agree to repatriate them. The government also offers a 0.5 percent tariff for small and medium enterprises with less that Rp 10 billion ($742,000) in total assets.

More than 170,000 taxpayers have joined the second part of the tax amnesty program and around 70 percent of them are small and medium enterprises, according to Hestu Yoga Saksama, director of counseling, service and public relations at the tax office.

The number of participants in the tax amnesty program, which started in July this year, has reached 563,000 by Thursday.

Tax director general Ken Dwijugiasteadi reported to the minister during her visit that the amnesty process is "under control" and that no emergency measures will be taken to address the lower-than-expected number of participants.

"Most of the high-wealth [individuals] have joined the first part of the tax amnesty, so the additional state revenue from the program will not be as high," Sri Mulyani said.

Despite the slower progress, the minister said she still "hopes for the best" and that each regional tax office has already prepared a plan to start the third part of the tax amnesty program in a bid to achieve a steady result.

So far, the government has collected Rp 106 trillion in total tax amnesty-related penalties – which include the 2 percent and 3 percent tariffs, payments of preliminary evidence from tax investigations and tax due payments – according to tax office data.

Taxpayers have also declared Rp 4,193.1 trillion in previously unreported assets and repatriated Rp 141.3 trillion so far.

The government has set a target of Rp 4,000 trillion in declared assets, Rp 1,000 trillion in repatriated assets and Rp 165 trillion in additional tax revenue.

"If the results at the end of the second part have not met our expectations, then I will step up the campaign in the last part," the minister said.

The tax office will not only focus on tax consultants in the last part of the tax amnesty program, which starts in January, Sri Mulyani said. Notaries, doctors, tax consultants, lawyers, architects, accountants, governors and executives of state-owned companies will be targeted next.

Ahok's Case Can Be Broadcast Live for the Public: Police Chief

Jakarta Globe, Anselmus Bata, November 05, 2016

National Police CHief Tito Karnavian, center, was speaking to reporters in
this file photo. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has reassured the public it can watch deliberations in the Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama blasphemy case as they happen live.

"Case deliberation can be broadcast live so the public can witness clearly about this case and get to know the essence and content from the plaintiff, defendant, and experts," Tito told journalists in Jakarta on Saturday (11/5).

He said linguistic experts will be summoned to examine the case.

Representatives from the Attorney Office, the National Police Commissions as well as members of the Commission III at the House of Representatives, which oversees legal affairs, laws, human rights and security, will attend the hearing.

Tito said police will upgrade the case from pre-investigation if evidence is found and in the case that it is not, the case will be dropped.

Previously, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the legal proceedings related to the blasphemy allegations against Basuki will be firm, quick and transparent.

Jokowi intends to resolve the matter swiftly to prevent further political upheaval.

Whistleblower System Put in Place in Govt Institutions to Crack Down on Extortion

Jakarta Globe, Edo Karensa, October 18, 2016

Public servants in Solo stand next to banners warning officials from asking
and receiving bribes. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)

Jakarta. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Minister Asman Abnur said on Tuesday (18/10) the government will have a whistleblower system running in ministries and government institutions as part of its public service reform.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo promised to crack down on extortion in government institutions, known locally as pungli, after a sting operation at the Transportation Ministry earlier this month saw three officials arrested and more than Rp 90 million ($6,900) in cash and Rp 1 billion in bank receipts seized.

The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Ministry issued a circular letter ordering the crackdown on extortion to heads of government institutions, ministries, the National Police, the Indonesian Military and governors, mayors and district heads on Tuesday.

According to the letter, each institution is responsible for identifying potential extortions and taking firm actions against officials engaging in the practice.

Minister Asman said government institutions should also make full use of information technology to offer services which will improve public transparency and avoid irregularities.

"We will have a whistleblower system running to crack down on extortion," Asman told a press conference in Jakarta.

The government has also created a social media app called Lapor. The acronym stands for Public Complaints and Aspiration Service — an app that the public can use to submit complaints on public services and developments, including slow progress on construction of public utilities or long queues in government offices.

"Sanctions for extortionists, including officials, should be announced publicly. That might help deter others from committing it," Asman, also a politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said.

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