160 Million People Considered Poor, Govt To Collect 308 Trillion From Irresponsible Conglomerates

Thursday, 24 Oct 2024

By deriz@insightinnews.com

The Vice Chairman of the Gerindra Party and brother of President Prabowo Subianto, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, has highlighted the issue of poverty in Indonesia. He noted that despite an economic growth rate of 5%, the middle class has seen a decline of 9%.

"What Prabowo has communicated to the economic team and the new cabinet reflects a fundamental issue. Even with a 5% growth, the middle class has decreased by 9%," he stated during a discussion at the Kadin Tower in South Jakarta on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

Another concerning aspect is the rapid increase in the number of wealthy individuals. Unfortunately, this growth is not aligned with the rising number of impoverished people in the country.

"Moreover, it is alarming that the wealthiest individuals in Indonesia are increasing at an extraordinary rate. At one point, Prabowo mentioned that the wealth of the ten richest families in Indonesia surpasses that of 114 million Indonesians," Hashim remarked.

"The 50 wealthiest families in Indonesia include my family and possibly Prabowo's as well. We acknowledge this," he added.

Hashim further indicated that data he received suggests approximately 160 million Indonesians are classified as poor. These individuals should be uplifted, as their improvement would positively impact the business sector.

"According to the data we have, there are about 44 million poor families, which translates to around 160 million individuals living in poverty when multiplied by three or four. The more we can uplift them, the more beneficial it will be for the business world," he explained.

He believes that if the majority of the population is prosperous, they will not transfer their wealth abroad. Instead, their spending will circulate within Indonesia, benefiting local entrepreneurs.

"When our people are prosperous, they will not take their money to Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Geneva. No, their money will circulate here, and their spending will benefit us all," he concluded.

Hashim Djojohadikusumo has revealed recent information regarding over 300 palm oil entrepreneurs who have evaded taxes. He indicated that their actions have resulted in a revenue loss for the state amounting to Rp 300 trillion.

According to Hashim, the Attorney General's Office is prepared to take action against these unscrupulous entrepreneurs. In the initial phase, the amount that can be recovered is estimated to reach Rp 189 trillion.

"This has already been reported to Prabowo, and it is expected that Rp 189 trillion can be collected in a short period. Additionally, within a longer timeframe, it is anticipated that another Rp 120 trillion could be added this year or next, bringing the total to Rp 300 trillion for the state," he stated during a discussion at Menara Kadin on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

Hashim further noted that these entrepreneurs have been observed to lack a Tax Identification Number (NPWP). In fact, some of them do not even possess bank accounts in Indonesia.

"The Deputy Attorney General is ready to act. These are the rogue entrepreneurs, and hopefully, none of them are part of Kadin. There are over 300 of these unscrupulous individuals, with 25 lacking NPWP and 15 without bank accounts in Indonesia," he revealed.

Previously, Hashim mentioned that the estimated tax revenue that the government has failed to collect could reach Rp 300 trillion, based on data compiled by the government.

He explained that the revenue loss is attributed to rogue palm oil entrepreneurs who have established illegal plantations. Consequently, the taxes from these agricultural activities have not been directed to the state treasury.

"There are millions of hectares of forest areas being illegally occupied by these rogue palm oil entrepreneurs. They have been warned, yet they have not paid their taxes to date," Hashim clarified.

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