Observer: Antam Must Prove Allegations Of Embezzlement Of IDR 47.1 Trillion Gold Import Tax Breathed By Arteria Dahlan

JAKARTA - Observer of State-Owned Enterprises, Toto Pranoto, suggested PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) prove allegations of embezzlement of gold import taxes worth IDR 47.1 trillion that was exhaled by a member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Arteria Dahlan.

"The allegation regarding tax evasion must be proven and Antam must be transparent about this", Toto said in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Friday, June 25.

Toto assessed that Antam as a state-owned company engaged in the mineral business will maintain the company's reputation well. According to him, if the reputation is destroyed, the fate of its share price will also fall.

"The Customs and Excise Office has clarified this matter, so hopefully the issue will be clear", said Toto.

In previous news, Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Arteria Dahlan, asked the Attorney General's Office to thoroughly investigate the gold import scandal worth IDR 47.1 trillion through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Dahlan made this statement during a working meeting with the Attorney General ST Burhanuddin at the Parliament Building, Jakarta, Monday, June 16.

He explained the report from the Director of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance that gold imports that should have been subject to a five percent import duty actually received zero percent, which has the potential to harm the state of IDR 2.9 trillion.

Meanwhile, Antam's SVP Corporate Secretary Yulan Kustiyan dismissed the accusation that his company did not pay the gold import duty.

According to him, Antam has complied with the requirements for gold imports, including the obligation to pay import duties to the government.

He explained that the company did import gold casting gold type or gold casting with a weight of one kilogram for raw materials for precious metal products in sizes of 0.5 to 100 grams.