Jakarta – Dozens of workers recently staged a rally in front of the Constitutional Court demanding the annulment of the Tax Amnesty Law, during the first hearing of their judicial review against the law. They warned of nationwide rallies if their demands were ignored.

The workers, representing the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI), called the Tax Amnesty Law an "act of injustice" against Indonesian workers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

KSPI chairman Said Iqbal argued that the law violated the Constitution, which stipulates that the state budget must be determined annually, carried out openly and that it bears a mandate to create prosperity for the people.

"It seems that the law is used to protect tax evaders whose source of wealth is unknown. Meanwhile, the workers always pay income tax every month, and so do SMEs. That is unfair," he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

However, tax perpetrators' profiles would remain clean as the Tax Amnesty Law obligates authorities to keep tax amnesty applicants' data confidential.

Said added that workers would stage huge rallies in 20 provinces in September, urging the government and local administrations to annul the law if their judicial review was ignored.

In the hearing, a panel of judges led by Anwar Usman called on the workers, as the plaintiff, to revise their lawsuit, especially in terms of the legal standing and legal reasons. He gave the workers 14 days to do so. (wnd/ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/09/01/workers-urge-court-to-annul-tax-amnesty-law.html