Strange, Companies Want To Pay Taxes Without Enjoying Revenue

Tax Illustration, (unsplash)

JAKARTA - This company is facing tax pressure that is not comparable to financial reality. All revenues that were supposed to be the right of PT EMA were allegedly used without permission by Energy Equity Epic (Sengkang) Pty. Ltd. (EEES) under the supervision and management of a number of high-ranking EEES officials, including Kenny Wishha Sonda. It is known that EEES is a PI holder of 51% in WK Sengkang.

"Although the EMA has never received revenue from 49% of PI in WK Sengkang from November 2018 to March 2023, EEES has once charged our clients for taxes arising from these incomes," said EMA's team of attorneys, Arsa Mufti Yogyandi, in a written statement, Monday, January 20.

The collection mentioned by Arsa took place in December 2022 and according to him, it raises suspicions that the income from the Sengk WK which is the right of the EMA has been used up by EEES before the tax arising from 49% of PI is paid off.

Arsa continued the EMA internal investigation showing that EEES only paid the tax share arising from the 51% PI WK Sengk belonging to EEES itself. Meanwhile, the EMA tax portion of 49% was never paid. Ironically, EEES is now reported to still have a tax debt even though it has controlled all income from the Sengkang WK.

"It is illogical for us, that our client pays taxes from income they never receive. Surprisingly, EEES still has a tax debt, even though EEES controls all of WK Sengkang's income," said Arsa.

The problems raised in the trial of the case at the South Jakarta District Court with the Defendant Kenny Wisha Sonda, according to Arsa, were part of an alleged embezzlement crime that was allegedly carried out jointly by high-ranking officials at EEES.

EEES has now been acquired by the EMA business group, but there is no information stating that the acquisition of EEES also includes its tax debt. Although he did not mention the problem explicitly, Arsa emphasized that the EMA business group did not want to face problems related to EEES protractedly and chose the fastest solution.

"EMA does not want this problem to drag on, given its impact not only on EMA finances, but also on the reputation of the EMA in the oil and gas industry in general. So, the plan is already in place from August, then effective October acquisition," said Arsa without commenting more specifically on EEES' tax debt borne by the EMA business group.