2 weeks ago
Indonesia names two tax officers suspects in pulp under-invoicing case
In Indonesia, some grown-ups who were supposed to check big companies' taxes are in big trouble.
The government says two tax checkers took money from a company called Toba Pulp Lestari.
This company works in the pulp processing and forestry industry.
The tax checkers were supposed to make sure the company paid the right amount of taxes.
Instead, they helped the company pay less tax than it should have, the government says.
The company is accused of selling its pulp products to a friend company at a lower value than they were really worth.
Because of this, the country lost about 112 million dollars that it should have received.
The two tax checkers could go to jail for a very long time, even for their whole life, if they are found guilty.
The company itself has not been accused of a crime, and it has not said anything about the case.
Indonesia's Attorney General's Office named two tax officers, identified only by the initials BP and SR, as suspects in a bribery case linked to pulp producer Toba Pulp Lestari.
The alleged under-invoicing caused state losses of around 2 trillion rupiah ($111.95 million), according to the initial estimate.
The suspects, tax audit supervisors for the company between 2020 and 2024, allegedly failed to carry out their supervisory duties and received money from the company.
Toba Pulp Lestari allegedly exported pulp products to its affiliate from 2008 using a lower-value harmonised system code, reducing corporate tax revenue owed to the state.
Prosecutors did not name the company as a suspect, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Who
- Two tax officers, identified only by the initials BP and SR, who were tax audit supervisors for Toba Pulp Lestari between 2020 and 2024.
- What
- Accused of accepting bribes from pulp producer Toba Pulp Lestari to facilitate under-invoicing of pulp exports, causing state losses of about 2 trillion rupiah ($111.95 million).
- Where
- Indonesia, with the announcement made in Jakarta.
- When
- Announced late on Wednesday, August 12-13, with alleged under-invoicing taking place between 2008 and 2025.
- Why
- The under-invoicing, done using a lower-value harmonised system code, reduced the corporate tax revenue that the state should have received.
Key facts
- Accused officers
- Two tax audit supervisors identified only by initials BP and SR
- Company involved
- Toba Pulp Lestari (pulp processing and forestry industry)
- Estimated state losses
- Around 2 trillion rupiah ($111.95 million)
- Period of alleged under-invoicing
- 2008 to 2025
- Supervisory period
- 2020 to 2024
- Alleged method
- Exporting pulp to an affiliate using a lower-value harmonised system code
- Possible penalty
- Up to life imprisonment under Indonesia's anti-corruption criminal code clause
- Company status
- Not named as a suspect; no immediate response to comment request
Quotes
Saiful Bahri Siregar
Director of investigations at the Attorney General’s Office special crimes unit
“The suspects, acting unlawfully, failed to carry out their duties and functions as supervisors… And the suspects have received a certain amount of money from the company," he said.”
theprint.in







