Wahyu Prakoso, Esposin, Solo – Students who are members of the Greater Solo Student Executive Council (BEM) Alliance and civil society activists held a demonstration in the Gladak area of Solo, Central Java, on Saturday afternoon December 28 to reject the planned value added tax (VAT) increase.

Jakarta – Scores of protesters from the Populist National Association of Student Executive Councils (BEM SI Kerakyatan) held a demonstration in the Horse Statue area of Central Jakarta on Thursday afternoon, December 26, to oppose the planned increase in value added tax (VAT) to 12 percent.

Makassar – Students from the Makassar State University (UNM) held a protest action rejecting the Prabowo Subianto administration's plan to increase the value added tax (VAT) rate to 12 percent by blocking the road in front of the university campus.

Jakarta – The Labour Party and the Confederation of the Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) is opposed to the government's plan to raise Value Added Tax (VAT) from 11 to 12 percent in 2025.

Jakarta – Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo has criticised Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 1/2020 on State Financial Policy and Financial System Stability for Covid-19 Pandemic Mitigation and/or Addressing Dangerous Threats Against National Economy and/or Financial System Stability.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The government has a responsibility to advance public healthcare, enlighten national life and create social justice.

But in reality, over the last few years provincial governments (Pemprov) have largely spend their budges on the needs of state civil servants (PNS) rather that social assistance for the public.

Scarecrow reads: legality, supervision. Crow reads: Rogue (government officials)

The Finance Ministry has announced that it will freeze regional government accounts that have been channeling rural development funds (dana desa) to bogus villages, an official said on Tuesday.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – Indonesia has tens of thousands of hectares conservation areas, both maritime as well as land. But the government’s budget for conservation and bio-diversity is limited.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The government has completed the next year’s draft budget for ministries and state institutions. The budget is set out in the government’s 2020 Macroeconomic Projection and Draft Fiscal Policy (KEM-PPKF) document which was released by the Ministry of Finance in May.

Political observer Faisal Basri has criticised the use of state foreign debt which according to the government narrative is being used to spur infrastructure development.

Yet according to the data he has gathered, most of the government’s foreign debt is being spent on the civil service.