SBY Says He Hopes No One Else Is Victimized by Tax Data Leaks

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, March 21, 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono submits his tax returns to the Finance
Ministry on Thursday (Photo Courtesy of Presidential Office)  

   

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President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that he hoped no one else would be victimized by the leakage of confidential tax data the way he and his family were.

“I’m very concerned that the tax returns are still being leaked. This is a crime because the information is confidential and protected by the Constitution,” Yudhotono said after handing in his 2012 tax returns to the Finance Ministry.

“I hope the Taxation Directorate General [of the Finance Ministry] will investigate and act on it. If we don't prevent it, it can be used to blackmail taxpayers. I have been victimized, and media gave the impression that I did not fulfill my tax obligations,” he added.

Recent media reports revealed discrepancies between the annual earnings of Yudhoyono, his first son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, an army major, and his second son Edhie Baskoro, a lawmaker, and the amount of money in their bank accounts that were opened in the same year. 



Yudhoyono reportedly earned Rp 1.37 billion ($141,000) during 2011 plus Rp 107 million income from royalties. But in the same year, he opened bank accounts totaling Rp 4.98 billion and $589,188, according to an Indonesian newspaper.



The president said these figures were different from data supplied by the Taxation Directorate General at the Finance Ministry, according to antaranews.com, but declined to explain further as he was not authorized to do so because of a law stipulating “tax secrecy.”

“I didn't pay even Rp 1 less than what I had to; it's not good,” he said, adding that he was very disciplined in paying his taxes and checked them thoroughly before and after paying them.

The president said the tax directorate general must act quickly to clarify the suspicion that the confidentiality of tax reports has been compromised.

“In my case, even though it was eventually clarified, the damage has been done. I just want to prevent the damage from happening to anyone else,” he said.