Taufiq Effendi & an angry taxpayer
I have to admit, Taufiq Effendi, minister for state apparatus, is not on my A-List of interesting people I love to write despite his close relationship with president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. I even rarely think of the importance of his statements.
But today, on my way to office, I was listening carefully his every words in my favourite radio Elshinta. He was not commenting on the latest controversial statement from Vice President Jusuf Kalla who appealed civil servants to re-join Golkar Party (Kalla is the chairman).
But today, on my way to office, I was listening carefully his every words in my favourite radio Elshinta. He was not commenting on the latest controversial statement from Vice President Jusuf Kalla who appealed civil servants to re-join Golkar Party (Kalla is the chairman).
He was talking about the welfare of civil servants, one of the most important political machines under Soeharto's 32-year administration. It was mandatory for civil servants to be Golkar members and voters. With 3.6 million civil servants in the country, they are one of the strongest political group still.
"Starting next year, we will have tripple numbers of taxpayers, so the state income would tripple as well. That's why we could improve the civil servants welfare," he said.
Indeed, two weeks ago, SBY had announced huge salary increase by the first month of 2006 with the lowest monthly basic pay will amount to US$100, well above the highest provincial minimum wage for employees in the private sector.
SBY said the increase was aimed at stamping out rampant corruption in the lower and middle levels of the bureaucracy.
But, look at how Mr Effendi drew the conclusion. The number of taxpayers would tripple next year? He might got wrong signal from tax office figures. It is true that the tax office had sent Love Letter (taxpayer number) to 10 million people, tripple the current holders of 3 million people. But that's a hoax! Most of them found wrong addresses or deceased people. And imagine how tax office would tripple the income?
Even if the tax income would tripple, that's not going to be a simple regression to a tripple state income, right?
Born in Barabai, South Kalimantan April 12, 1941, Mr Effendi graduated from International Police Academy, Washington DC and earned his MBA from Jayabaya Business Management Institute. He was a police officer with various intelligence operations before entering politics and become the right-hand man of SBY.
I have no problem with the salary hike for civil servants. But I hate the idea that taxpayers, including myself, should pay something they should not, especially for the poor quality of their services and bad conclussions that end up in dead wrong public policies.
"Starting next year, we will have tripple numbers of taxpayers, so the state income would tripple as well. That's why we could improve the civil servants welfare," he said.
Indeed, two weeks ago, SBY had announced huge salary increase by the first month of 2006 with the lowest monthly basic pay will amount to US$100, well above the highest provincial minimum wage for employees in the private sector.
SBY said the increase was aimed at stamping out rampant corruption in the lower and middle levels of the bureaucracy.
But, look at how Mr Effendi drew the conclusion. The number of taxpayers would tripple next year? He might got wrong signal from tax office figures. It is true that the tax office had sent Love Letter (taxpayer number) to 10 million people, tripple the current holders of 3 million people. But that's a hoax! Most of them found wrong addresses or deceased people. And imagine how tax office would tripple the income?
Even if the tax income would tripple, that's not going to be a simple regression to a tripple state income, right?
Born in Barabai, South Kalimantan April 12, 1941, Mr Effendi graduated from International Police Academy, Washington DC and earned his MBA from Jayabaya Business Management Institute. He was a police officer with various intelligence operations before entering politics and become the right-hand man of SBY.
I have no problem with the salary hike for civil servants. But I hate the idea that taxpayers, including myself, should pay something they should not, especially for the poor quality of their services and bad conclussions that end up in dead wrong public policies.
Labels: President SBY
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posted by yosef at 10:30 PM
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