To Labuan Bajo, KPK Helps Control Troubled Assets From Hotels To Restaurants

Control activities for problematic assets in Labuan Bajo assisted by the KPK / PHOTO: KPK Public Relations

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) supports the steps taken by the West Manggarai Regency Government, NTT, to regulate problem assets in the Labuan Bajo area. Unmitigated, the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nawawi Pomolango, was directly involved in the activity.

There are also assets that are disciplined in the form of hotels to restaurants. This control was carried out because business actors violated provisions, including those related to the use of coastal border areas.

"We have been to hotels and restaurants for the purpose of optimizing regional income through the regional tax sector and controlling assets, as we are doing now," said Nawawi in a written statement, Wednesday, December 8.

He said the presence of the KPK in this activity was a form of strengthening local government governance through eight intervention areas. In addition, this step is taken to prevent the occurrence of criminal acts of corruption.

Such problematic assets, continued Nawawi, could cause losses for the region and the state. Moreover, most assets can change ownership because they do not have legality.

Not only that, the KPK also found the potential for leakage of state or regional revenues due to tax obligations that were not fulfilled by business actors.

Meanwhile, the Regent of West Manggarai, Edistasius Endi, revealed that his party had recorded and monitored a number of assets and properties that were built that did not comply with the permit application and violated the provisions of related regulations and violated tax obligations.

"There are two aspects related to spatial planning and related to tax obligations that are not timely and in real amounts," said Edistasius.

He also explained that there were 11 properties that had been audited for violating the laws and regulations, so that administrative sanctions could be imposed on the owner of the hotel building.

Several properties that were reviewed directly in the field were the Artomoro Restaurant which did not fulfill its obligations related to local tax payments which were under the authority of the regional government, which was Rp. 841 million.

Not only that, a review was also carried out at Ayana Komodo Resort, La Prima Hotel, and Local Collection. The reason is that hotel owners do not comply with the requirements in licensing and legislation in the field of spatial planning and building.

Against hotel owners, the regional government has imposed administrative sanctions in the form of fines to Ayana Komodo Resort of Rp. 18.8 billion and Rp. 5.8 billion to La Prima. Furthermore, in 2022, there will be a spatial audit of all hotels in Labuan Bajo.

In addition to hotels and restaurants, the KPK together with the local government also visited Kelor Island. Edistasius explained that Kelor Island is classified as abandoned land. According to him, Kelor Island has been in HGB in 2011 and to this day its business has not been optimized or developed.

"There is a time limit for optimizing the HGB area, which is two years. If during the HGB period the area is not optimized, then the area is categorized as abandoned land and becomes the property of the government," he concluded.