Police slap travel ban on tax evaders

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 02/17/2010 6:50 PM

The National Police have responded to the President’s order to take bold measures against tax violations by slapping a travel ban on a number of tax evaders.

Spokesman for the National Police Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said Wednesday the move was taken on those among the top 10 tax evaders upon request from the directorate general of taxation.

Edward refused to identify the tax evaders, saying it was the authority of the tax office.

“For sure we have banned a number of individuals upon request from the director general of taxation. Details of the travel ban will follow,” Edward told kompas.com.

He said that among those banned was an individual from a company in East Kalimantan.

The tax office recently unveiled the 10 biggest tax evaders, which included state oil and gas company Pertamina, Karaha Bodas Company LLC, Industri Pulp Lestari, the now defunct Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency and Bakrie Investindo.

Edward said that no one from the Bakrie Group, which is controlled by the family of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, had been banned from traveling overseas despite the tax evasion case. “We are in the coordination phase,” he said.

President Yudhoyono ordered tough actions against tax evaders at a time when Golkar and the opposition bloc at the House insisted the Bank Century bailout authorized by the finance minister and the Bank Indonesia governor in November 2008 was flawed and illegal.