Another tax Loss in Court

A broad grin spread across the face of Fuad Rahmany, the Finance Ministry's director general of taxation. On Wednesday two weeks ago, similar expressions could be seen on the faces of Vincentius Sonny Loho, the ministry's inspector general; Catur Rini Widosari, its director of objections and appeals; YuliKristiyono, the director of intelligence and investigations; and other ministry officials. They were all in Court Room I on the ninth floor of the Dhanapala Building at the ministry's office in Jakarta.

The officials were smiling because of a decision that had just been handed down by a panel of Tax Court judges. The court rejected two of 14 appeals against tax assessment notices lodged by subsidiaries of the Asian Agri Group those of Rigunas Agri Utama and Raja Garuda Mas Sejati. As soon as the decision came down, the officials shook each other's hands in satisfaction. "I think it was a just decision," Faud said on leaving the courtroom.