Such communities arouse a negative perception among the public and raise suspicion about the origin of wealth acquired by DJP officials.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has asked a cruiser motorbike club at the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) to disband amid the latest crackdown against the hedonistic and extravagant lifestyle of officials.

The instructions to disband the motorcycle club, BlastingRijder DJP, which was founded by officials at the directorate general, came after pictures and reports of the Director General of Taxes, Suryo Utomo, riding a cruiser motorbike with fellow club members surfaced on social media.

"Such communities arouse a negative perception among the public and raise suspicion about the origin of wealth acquired by DJP officials," Indrawati said in a post published on her Instagram account on Monday.

Even if the bike is obtained by legal means, she said, officials from the ministry and directorate general showing off such bikes violate the public decency and appropriateness principle that state apparatus are required to uphold.

"Such behavior harms public trust (in the institution)," she emphasized.

The minister also asked DJP officials to explain their wealth and the methods used to obtain it to the public, as reported in the mandatory State Apparatus Asset Report (LHKPN).

Earlier, Indrawati strongly condemned the extravagant lifestyle of ministry officials, saying it is eroding public trust in the institution and unfairly affecting other officials who are working honestly and professionally.

Public trust is an essential aspect and its foundation must be maintained together, she said, adding that ministry officials must not do anything to shake this trust.

She also instructed the ministry's Inspectorate General to investigate ministry officials suspected of acquiring their wealth and assets inappropriately and take corrective measures against them.

The crackdown against the hedonistic and extravagant lifestyle of officials was triggered by a battery assault case involving the son of an official of the Directorate General of Taxes on February 20, 2023. The suspect is known to post about his extravagant lifestyle on social media.

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Translator: Agatha Olivia V, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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