Hermanto said the leaked information has become an international issue because it involved people and firms in a number of countries.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, Agus Hermanto, has asked law enforcement officers to investigate entrepreneurs and officials who figure in the Panama Papers containing leaked information regarding clients of Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca.

"Law enforcement officers should investigate these employers and Indonesian officials whose names figure in the Panama Papers," Agus Hermanto said here on Wednesday.

Hermanto said the leaked information has become an international issue because it involved people and firms in a number of countries.

With regard to members of Parliament whose name are there in the Panama Papers, Hermanto urged the law enforcement officials to find out more about them.

"The House will follow up on the decision of the law enforcement agencies," he remarked.

He noted that the government will continue to push for a draft bill on tax amnesty to be discussed with the House of Representatives.

"The government will submit the draft and the House will come with a list of problems (DIM)," he remarked.

Earlier, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that the government would scrutinize information in the Panama Papers as part of the efforts to pursue a number of Indonesians who had offshore undeclared assets.

With regard to the tax amnesty, the minister said passing the tax amnesty bill into law is a priority for the government as it has the potential to increase tax revenues.

He said with the tax amnesty kicking in, tax payers who have not reported their assets abroad would be encouraged to comply with their obligation to submit reports to the taxation authorities.

He said he hoped tax payers would use the opportunity to meet their obligation without facing any legal action.

If they fail to utilize the opportunity, they would be risking a crackdown by the government on delinquent tax payers, he said.

"Our first focus is on tax amnesty, after that will come law enforcement. Any tax evasion will attract a penalty of up to 46 percent," he said.

He said the government would prepare a database of the assets of tax payers so that the tax amnesty scheme and law enforcement measures could be effectively implemented.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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