As the government struggles to boost tax revenues amid a slump in commodity prices and tax officials all too willing to fix a company's tax in return for a bribe (Suap), revelations that at least two high profile figures, Supreme Audit Agency head Harry Azhar Aziz and Security Chief Luhut Pandjaitan are among 800 Indonesians listed in the Panama

Lani Pujiastuti, Bogor – Currently there are 10,922 companies holding Mining Business Permits (IUPs) in Indonesia. Of this total, only 29 percent pay tax.

Fiki Ariyanti, Jakarta – Forbes magazine has again released a list of the richest people in the world, including from Indonesia. There are 50 Indonesian conglomerates included in the list, old faces as well as new.

With the emergence of this bourgeois in Indonesia, can the government push for more tax revenue from these people?

Smart people (find it hard to) pay tax – a campaign slogan to encourage people to pay tax. Sign reads ‘Tax collection service’.

Man: Ah, you only come to us in the lead up to elections Mr...

Politician: No... I also come for your taxes...

Official: Pay your tax, its compulsory... Shame on you! (Money bag reads: Tax revenue)

Smart people (don’t) pay tax
Smart people (corrupt) tax
Smart people (collude to avoid) tax
Smart people (do shady deals) tax
Smart people (embezzle) tax...

Kid: So only stupid people pay tax, right Dad? What says the world!

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – Thirty-four years after the Malari affair – short for The January 15 Disaster – a student actions opposing foreign capital, particularly Japanese capital on January 15, 2974, demands for the foreign debt to be written off are now being articulated again.

Jakarta – As much as 60-70 percent of the 2007 state budget (APBN) or between 457-534 trillion rupiah was depleted for the bureaucratic costs of the government, legislator and law enforcement agencies. The total state budget for 2007 was 763 trillion rupiah.

Jakarta – The weapon systems belonging to the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is a cause for concern. Compared with the systems belonging to the armed forces in other South-East Asian countries the TNI’s is among the worst, only ahead of Cambodia and Laos.