February 24, 2015 edition
AGRARIAN minister and chairman of the National Land Agency (BPN) Ferry Mursyidan Baldan should be more careful in launching 'green' ideas. His concept of doing away with land and building taxation (PBB) has caused an uproar. Now, the idea has gone flat, like a tire without air.
At first, Ferry proposed getting rid of the PBB. After local governments loudly protested, he relented. Instead, he proposed that the PBB separate the land from the building. Landowners would only pay tax when they first acquired it and tax would only be imposed on buildings used for commercial purposes. Private homes and buildings used for social purposes would be tax-exempted. At the end, however, Ferry's idea came down to only one change. Only people unable to pay would be exempted from the PBB.
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More Opinion articles in other editions
January 1, 1970 edition
PRESIDENT Joko Widodo's inaction in resolving the feud between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Police has caused untold damage. He should have done considerably more than issuing a statement that 'the perpetrators of terror acts must be arrested'. He should have gone to the root of the problem right at the beginning, and that is to withdraw the nomination of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the new police chief.
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January 1, 1970 edition
FAISAL Basri and members of Oil and Gas Reform Team cannot give up so easily if their work and recommendations face a thick wall. They should have known right from the start that they must deal with a network of syndicates and business practices entrenched in corruption and deceit, which for years caused a shortfall in the state coffers. This is why the team was established last November.
Led by Faisal and his 10 members with impeccable reputations in fighting corruption, like Teten Masduki and former KPK commissioner Chandra Hamzah, the team was regarded as one of the positive points of Joko Widodo's government. Many praised this initiative of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, given that it happened the same time former KPK Deputy Chairman Amien Sunaryadi was appointed the head of the Oil and Gas Upstream Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas).
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January 1, 1970 edition
AS a head of state, the president should not allow the criminalization of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to drag on. He must take a firm stand on this issue. His hesitation will be seen as a weakening of the government's commitment towards eliminating corruption. His indecision would not merely betray his own campaign promises, it would also kill the people's hope for a better Indonesia.
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January 1, 1970 edition
IT is becoming increasingly difficult to understand President Joko Widodo's thinking when it comes to filling strategic posts in his administration. As president, he has prerogatives. During his campaign, he always said that no deals would be made in choosing his aides. He also promised he would give precedence to professionals over party members.
The reality has been quite different. Many politicians have been appointed as cabinet ministers, as attorney general, the national police chief and now as members of the Presidential Advisory Board. In fact, the police chief, whose nomination has been approved by the House of Representatives (DPR), continues to be plagued by problems, creating political turmoil in the process.
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January 1, 1970 edition
THERE is another side to disasters that is not always apparent. Apart from motivating international solidarity, which overrides ideological, national and religious boundaries and incites optimism for the future of humanity, what also emerges behind the scenes is some kind of competition between the donor countries.
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January 13, 2015 edition