Gov’t to Implement Tax Relaxation on Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Goods

President Jokowi, accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Thursday (08/03) chairs a limited meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. (Photo by: PR/Rahmat)

The Government has announced that it will implement tax relaxation on the goods belonging to Indonesian migrant workers (PMI).

“The President has agreed that the relaxation will apply to goods belonging to Indonesian migrant workers. For instance, the tax value will be relaxed, they will be given a relaxation of 1,500 US Dollars per year in three shipments of goods,” the Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Benny Rhamdani said after a limited meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (08/03).

In addition, Benny also proposed a policy that specifically regulates the goods belonging to the migrant workers to avoid future problems on the ground.

“Earlier, I convinced Mr. President and the ministers that the migrant workers if they bring used goods, the amount must be limited and not for business purposes. They are not for sale but for family souvenirs,” he said.

Benny also said that the Government would waive the IMEI processing fee for the migrant workers’ cellphones when they return to Indonesia.

“The problem of the Indonesian migrant workers arriving in the country is that they have to deal with the IMEI of the cellphone. They must change the IMEI and it costs a lot of money. The President also agreed specifically to waive the [fee] for the IMEI of cellphones belonging to Indonesian migrant workers,” he said. (KS/UN) (FI/LW)