"Besides using tax to help economic recovery and national health, our taxes are also used to finance other government programs, including government programs and policies for disabled people," Director-general of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance Suryo Utomo said at a tax education event held on Monday.
In addition, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is offering scholarships to people with disabilities for pursuing their master's and doctoral degrees, he informed.
"The second program is an Inclusive Village development by the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions Development, and Transmigration," he said.
The "Inclusive Village" program is expected to build a better perspective on people with disabilities, Utomo said. Under the program, villages will provide access to infrastructure, public services, make regulations, and establish a forum that is friendly for disabled people, he explained.
The third program is the construction of public spaces, public facilities, and provision of public transportation that is disabled-friendly, he informed. It will involve the construction of guiding blocks, pedestrian bridges that can be used by wheelchair users, priority lifts, zebra crossings that are safe for disabled people, including disabled-friendly facilities at tax service offices, he added.
Utomo also lauded the assistance provided by Indonesian Deaf Welfare (Gerkatin) in tax education so that deaf people can understand their rights and obligations in terms of fulfilling tax obligations and tax benefits.
He asked the deaf community not to worry about equality since the government, through Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning disabled people, gives them the right to apply for jobs with the government, local government, or the private sector without discrimination. Even the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Regulation Number 27 of 2021 guarantees disabled people can work as civil servants, he added.
"We will move together and will work together towards one direction, namely advanced Indonesia. Please be concerned about Indonesia by obediently paying taxes as well," he remarked.
Translator: Kuntum Khaira R, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
