Asked By Prabowo To Propose The Name Of The Director General Of Taxes, Erick Thohir Said This

Presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto asked for advice from the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir, regarding the right figure to fill the position of Director General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance in his upcoming government.

Responding to this, Erick Thohir said that he did not have the authority to judge the right person. According to him, this is the domain of the next government.

Furthermore, Erick said, the same is true for the ministerial candidate (menkeu) in the Prabowo-Gibran work cabinet.

He said he did not have the capacity to assess who was suitable and unsuitable.

"It's the same when talking about the minister of Finance, the minister of Finance, I said I never said anything, I never followed. I only stopped the media at that time, what do I think, I'm clear, I don't have the authority to assess who the minister is going forward," he said when met on the sidelines of the Mandiri Investment Forum event, in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 5.

"I'm not part of that, it's part of the president and vice president being elected, not me, I don't know that," he continued.

Erick admitted that he was not the only one who was asked for advice, but there was also the former Minister of Finance 2013-2014 Chatib Basri.

Instead of mentioning names, Erick actually asked to just wait for the person to be chosen.

"When he asked for input, definitely not just me, Mr. Chatib asked for input, I was asked. Yes, maybe we'll try to see who is the best. Because he emphasized that this taxation should continue to grow economically, where one of the things he encourages the tax ratio," he explained.

Even so, Erick assessed that Prabowo Subianto was a simple and genuine figure. In fact, as is.

Pak Prabowo is a genuine person, the person is simple, as is, he doesn't cover up. Pak Prabowo's statement is the most important thing that he wants to be helped by everyone, the best. But the selection was in him, not in me," he said.

Previously, presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto asked for advice from SOE Minister Erick Thohir to Finance Minister 2013-2014 Chatib Basri regarding the right figure to fill the position of Director General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance.

Initially, Prabowo alluded to the tax ratio or Indonesia's tax ratio, which is currently around 10 percent. Meanwhile, neighboring countries such as Malaysia have reached 16 percent.

"Thailand, Malaysia are all at 16 percent. Vietnam, Cambodia is around 16 to 17 to 18 percent," he said at the Mandiri Investment Forum 2024 event in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 5.

Prabowo said that this tax ratio could be increased. Therefore, he admitted that he would boost him if he was elected president for the 2024-2029 period.

To increase this tax ratio, Prabowo then asked Erick Thohir for advice to Chatib Basri regarding who was suitable to be used as Director General of Taxes.

"Mr. Erick, Mr. Darmawan (Director of Bank Mandiri), Mr. Kartika (Wamen BUMN), Mr. Chatib, please give me advice who can be used as Director General of Taxes," he said.