Finance Minister to Amend Regulation on Tax Incentives

Minister of Finance delivers statement in a press conference after a Limited Cabinet Meeting, Wednesday (22/4). Photo by: PR/Deni

The Government will amend Minister of Finance Regulation Number 23 of 2020 that regulates tax incentives for manufacturing industry subsectors, according to Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.

“We hope it will be completed soon. We hope the draft will be synchronized this week,” the Minister said in a press conference after a Limited Cabinet Meeting, Wednesday (22/4).

Sri added that the new regulation aims to provide tax incentives for 18 sectors and 749 subsectors (KBLI) with the total amount of Rp35.3 trillion. The tax incentives will also be provided for  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

In the meantime, she also explained that President Joko Widodo had instructed Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Finance to implement measures for economic recovery and provide support to the economic sector affected by COVID-19 outbreak especially small and medium businesses.

“Article 11 of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2020 stipulates that the national economic recovery measures to support the business sectors affected by COVID-19 aim to save the national economy, and to protect, maintain and improve economic capacity of business people in the real sector and financial sector.” Sri said.

Some of the policies, according to the Minister, are as follows:

First, the Government provides debt relaxation program for 11.9 million debtors of micro credit program (KUR). The debtors will be granted relaxation for six months in the form of postponement of the principal installment. The Government will pay the loan interest for the first three months and pay 50% of the loan interest for the next three months.

Second, the Government also provides debt relaxation program for 1 million debtors of ultra-micro credit (UMi). The debtors will be granted relaxation for six months in the form of postponement of the principal installment. The Government will pay the loan interest for the first three months and pay 50% of the loan interest for the next three months.

The Minister went on to say that Ministry of Finance is currently working with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Bank Indonesia in drafting the policy for debtors who are not under the KUR program, and whose debt is no more than Rp500 Million. The Government will provide debt relaxation program for the debtors in the form of postponement in principal payment and subsidy for the interest.

On that occasion, the Minister of Finance also said that in implementing the programs, the Government is committed to preventing moral hazard. To that end, the track record and capacity of financial institutions for restructuring are very important.

“We are formulating policies to ensure that the policies can help the communities while maintaining prudence,” she said. (TGH/EN)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Mia Medyana