Indigenous Animals of Indonesia - Palm Civet, Luwak or Musang

There are many indigenous species of animals in Indonesia that a westerner or a "bule" (pronounced boo-lay) has never seen before or heard of.

This is one of them; the palm civet, luwak or "musang."  It resembles a cross between a racoon and a weasel with a long prehensile tail.

 
This animal is also responsible for cultivating or making "Kopi Luwak" (or civet coffee)  which is one of the worlds most expensive and low production varieties of "animal coffees" - and is another thing that puts Indonesia on the map.

The civet or musang eats the coffee bean cherries, then "passes" the coffee beans which are collected and processed to make the Kopi Luwak.  The natural digestive process of the animal makes the coffee beans less bitter and produces a very smooth coffee.  Being a coffee lover myself , I have tried "Kopi Luwak" and while it is noticeably and distinguishably very smooth and less bitter; I personally don't think it's worth the exorbitant price it goes for.

                                                                          

(Here is one I shot this video clip of for sale at a pet shop at Pluit Village Mall in Jakarta)

Income Taxation of Foreign Expatriate "Expat" Workers in Indonesia

This is a brief overview of the requirements, calculation and payment of personal income taxes in Indonesia from an expatriate or "expat" perspective.  Please also see my related article on Employment in Indonesia as an Expat.

The Employer's and Individual's Role in Personal Income Tax:

Your employer is the body responsible for the calculation, payment and annual return of all employees for the year in question. Under the old system, the income tax of an individual who only has one source of income was processed by his or her employer. Employers were able to pay the tax of all their employees under one NPWP number, assuming that employees only had this one source of income.

Now things have changed ... the individual taxpayer is legally responsible for ensuring that they've registered with the tax office and comply with the regulations and payment of the tax due.


Employers have three choices for the personal income tax calculation:

1. Employee's salaries are classified as Gross and tax is calculated on this, withheld from employee and paid via the banking system to the tax office. 
2. Employee's salaries are classified as Net and then grossed up to establish a gross amount from which the tax is calculated to bring the remainder back to the net amount as expressed in the employment letter. 
3. The tax is calculated on the net and treated as a fringe benefit.

Though your employer may have agreed in your contract to pay your taxes - you are still personally and ultimately liable for the appropriate and correct payment of your income taxes. This is of special concern or consequence to expatriates whose salaries were quoted and paid net.  Ask your employer to show you receipts showing that taxes have been paid for you on a monthly basis. The form required is 1721-A1, which is the actual annual return and a S.S.P. which is the actual proof of payment. It's very good to have your package expressed as gross. 

        


Those expatriates working for local PT companies (not the case for multinational firms) may find that in the past their employer “negotiated” their tax with the tax officials. This could come back to haunt you in the future. If your salary was quoted net, and you trusted in good faith that your local employer had paid your taxes according to your agreement, you may find in fact that the taxes were not paid in full, or even at all, and you could find yourself being liable for back taxes, penalties, interest and big problem on your hands!!

 


The Tax Identification Number (NPWP):


Since 1984, the tax office has required all resident individuals in Indonesia to have their own personal tax number or "NPWP" (Nomor Pendaftaran Wajib Pajak). This regulation includes expatriates. 


This regulation has not been enforced in the past due to the reliance on individuals having no source of income outside their employment or whose earnings fall outside the minimum level for inclusion in the tax scheme. The government assumption was that companies were paying the tax for their employees but in fact it wasn't happening in many local firms.

In 2000, the tax office stepped up the drive to require all expatriates resident in Indonesia to register with the tax office and obtain their own separate tax number (NPWP) and pay monthly taxes and file annual tax returns, and pay tax on their income earned outside Indonesia, less tax paid in other jurisdictions on the additional overseas income.

The government defines an individual taxpayer and taxable income as:

• Employed individuals who earn income in excess of the non-taxable income, 
• Employed individuals who receive income outside of their main salary, 
• Individual taxpayers who receive income from trade/business activities, self-employment or exercise of profession; 
• Individual taxpayers who receive income from capital; and 
• Foreigners who reside or who are present in Indonesia for more that 183 days within a single period of 12 months or who are present in Indonesia and have the intention to live in Indonesia. This 12 month period is based on today going back 12 months. It is not a calendar year. (The “intention” to live in Indonesia is seen by such actions as applying for a work permit, owning or renting a house for an extended period, and bringing family members to Indonesia.)  Please be advised that, according to the law,  those who must pay Indonesian income taxes if they've been here the 183 days in a calendar year, includes, those expats here on KITAS, KITAP, business visa or social/visit visas! 
• If you stay less than 183 days in a year, then you are not obligated to pay income tax. You must prove it by showing your visa stamp and fill out FORM 1770 Individual and Monthly SSP (Surat Setoran Pajak). Of course you must have an income tax number first to complete this form.
• Dependent spouses are included in the husband's tax number and do not have to have a separate number.

Where to Register:

Taxpayers must register at the Tax Service Office in your city of residence.  Expats living in Jakarta are required to register with the Tax Office for Foreign Bodies and Expatriates (KPP BADORA).

Your registration, monthly tax payment and annual return can be prepared and submitted by appointed representative, usually an accountant specializing in tax matters. Be sure that you use a reputable agent or accountant as stated previously, you yourself are ultimately responsible for the correct and appropriate filing and payment of income taxes.

To register you will need the following documents:

• a completed registration form 
• photocopies of all the pages in your passport 
• photocopy of your work permit 
• certificate of domicile for you and your employer 
• photocopy of your employer's NPWP 
• Letter of Authorization, authorizing your representative to register and handle your tax matters. 
• While the registration form only asks for copy of the first or ID page of your passport only and does not request the other items mentioned above, the Tax Office will request them nevertheless as a matter of course or SOP.

Once you have registered, taxes are due and payable beginning not later that the 15th day of the following month and reports should be submitted to the tax office by not later than the 20th day of the same month.  

Linkage and Enforcement of NPWP to other Activities:

Beginning in 2001, the Indonesian tax office renewed its drive to widen the taxpayer base by registering all Indonesian Nationals for their own NPWP number. They have started linking this requirement to certain other registrations and regulations to enforce it.

There is a regulation proposed that will require an NPWP for all Indonesians applying for a passport, renewing registration of a vehicle over a certain value, having a credit card limit in excess of a certain amount and the payment of housing tax on houses over a certain value.

It is anticipated that expatriates will be linked up and data captured on them as well when conducting certain financial or immigration transactions in Indonesia in much the same way as financial transactions above a certain amount are tracked by the Treasury Dept through your social security or taxpayer ID number in the USA. 

What Income is Taxable:

The Indonesian personal taxation system is based on worldwide income. This includes:

• Any salary paid to you for your current position, whether it be onshore or offshore 
• Dividend and interest income, both onshore and offshore 
• Rental income both onshore and offshore 
• Capital Gains from Sale of Property, both offshore and onshore

"Benefits in Kind" are generally excluded from taxable income and include such employer provided benefits as; housing allowance, automobile or transportation allowance, school fees; as well as income from an inheritance. However, if your company pays you for housing in one lump sum, and then you make the payments; the tax office may construe that lump sum as income. In this case, it may be better for your employer to pay the housing costs direct to the landlord. You take the money as an advance, not as housing allowance. The company then expenses one month at a time as housing, which is then treated as a fringe benefit and not as taxable income.

Credit is given for income taxes paid overseas, subjected to limits and also depends on double taxation treaties between Indonesia and your country.  You may also receive credit for tax taken on interest income for local bank accounts and time deposits and other interest earning methods that are taxed.

Since income from Overseas Investment can be taxed, it is best to consult your accountant and your financial consultant to determine how these new regulations will affect any current and future investment strategies. Have an "Asset Protection" plan in place or at least be cognizant of the ramifications and consequences of investments and acquisitions both here in Indonesia and abroad in your country of origin.  

Tax Rates

Taxable Income	Rupiah Rate
Rp 1-25 million	5%
Rp 25 to 50 million	10%
Rp 50-100 million	15%
Rp 100-200 million	25%
over Rp 200 million	35%

Deductions for an individual are Rp. 2,880,000, wife 2,880,000 and up to three children Rp. 1,440,000. Position Expense (Biaya Jabatan) is a deduction with a maximum 5% from gross income or a maximum of Rp 1,296,000.


If your company pays for house rental, car, etc. then it could be considered your income or not. It depends on how the company will treat the expense. It may go to your income tax report as an income, or may go to the company income tax report as an expense. There are no exemptions for personal house rental, car, etc. Insurance premiums paid by the company are seen as additional income.

You will receive credit against tax due for local tax prepayment through FISKAL departure tax, so save those receipts.

Consequences of Tax Registration:

Many expats are used to being taxed on worldwide income but the Indonesia system is far broader than first meets the eye. As a registered tax person (body) you become liable for the full range and consequences of the system:

• You will be required to do an annual return on your servants and drivers that are your personal employees and not on the company payroll. 
• When you rent a bus for your group's tour you will withhold tax from the bus company. 
• When you receive an advance from your company to rent a house/apartment you will be required to withhold tax from the owner. 
• You will pay the appropriate amount of tax via the banking system to the tax office and give proof to the person/company that you withheld it from. 
• You will do monthly reports to the tax office regarding this. 
• You will make monthly payments on your own extra or supplemental income (outside of regular salaried employment) and make an annual return. 
• By virtue of what you do outside of regular employment, or as a self-employed independent contractor or "consultant", you may also be liable for registration for PPN (VAT/GST). 
• Understand too that once the tax office has your personal residence and employment information, individuals from the tax office may choose to approach you on an individual, personal basis for various reasons.

                                                                       

Failure to Register:

According to the regulations, failure to secure an NPWP could mean imprisonment for a maximum of six years and a maximum fine of four times the total amount of tax due. Audits could be conducted on past years and would rely on local and overseas tax statements and bank records.

Canceling Your Tax Number:

Once you are registered you can only cancel the NPWP number by having a tax audit. This will be extremely difficult as it take 2 - 3 years for the tax office to perform such audit meanwhile your new job in another country is beckoning, or you are returning home. The government cannot keep you in Indonesia until the audit is completed as your immigration KITAS will expire; however, they may hold your personal shipment of your goods furniture, etc. until such time as the audit is completed.  

To combat this from potentially occurring, simply get an EPO (exit permit only) stamp in your Passport (which effectively cancels your current Visa when you leave), give Immigration the impression (only if asked) that you're just going out of Indonesian to cancel your current KITAS (temporary visit visa) and will be re-entering Indonesia shortly under a new KITAS...then simply LEAVE and don't come back or cancel your NPWP from abroad ! Or alternatively, just don't cancel your NPWP and leave it dormant. If you no longer have any income in Indonesia, it can't be taxed anyway with or without an active NPWP or taxpayer ID number.




Double Taxation Agreements:

The Indonesian Tax Office has the authority to contact the tax offices in countries that have a Double Tax Treaty with Indonesia to ask for information about you from their database. Likewise your country can ask for information from the Indonesian Tax Office, if there is a Double Tax Treaty in place.


Other Taxes:

The DPKK is a tax that is paid by your employer to the Manpower ministry ostensibly to be used in training Indonesian workers. The cost is US$100/month and must be paid in full as a part of the process for obtaining a work permit. It is separate from and has nothing to do with income taxes.

Tax Forms: 

I have already given you enough free information above.  If you need further assistance in filing and preparing your income taxes, I will be happy to assist or represent you for a professional consultation fee of course.

Employment (Working) in Indonesia as an Expatriate ("Expat")

Unless you are being sent over to Indonesia by your company, an employer, a NGO, your Government, or other official type of TDY or corporate assignment; finding suitable and sustainable employment in [Jakarta] Indonesia is next to impossible. Not impossible, but highly improbable.

The moment you come over here without a job, you will be considered a "local hire" and the employer will assume that you have a house, a car, savings, and arrived here with suitcases full of cash and will not pay you anywhere near what an "expat" with a higher professional (or trade) level with expertise and English language proficiency should be making. In other words, their assumption will be that you're all set-up and established here in Indonesian already; so they will:

• A) not offer you what an expat could or should be making, and 

• B) may not offer you typical remuneration package amenities or benefits as would be typically offered to another expat employee (or to another Indonesian countryman local hire) such as allowances for; housing; transportation (car and/or driver); gas, toll, & personal mobile or "hand-phone" billing reimbursement; health insurance, etc. 

If they do offer you a job (as a "local hire"), they'll expect the performance and capabilities of a Mercedes-Benz or BMW for the price of, or on the budget of, a public transportation bajaj !

To use a real property analogy, they'll expect the landed property estate for the price of a strata title (condo) apartment unit.  To use a culinary analogy, they'll expect a steak & lobster (surf-n-turf) dinner out of you (with drinks and dessert too) for the price of a bowl of soto (soup) or a plate of some nasi goreng (rice). 

When it come to salary "comps" or standards (and taxation), the Indonesian Government actually promulgates "Guidelines for Salary Standards for Foreign Workers" - (Decision of Director General of Taxation, No. KEP-173/PJ/2002).  You might be able to use this to your advantage in salary negotiations with a prospective employer.

If you do accept to be employed as a "local hire" or under the local compensation plan (LCP), make sure the income taxes that you are paying by way of employer deductions from your gross salary are NOT based on those of an expatriate worker.  They cannot have it both ways; pay you as a local Indonesian, then turn right around and tax you or take payroll withholdings based on much higher expat income tax rates.

• Indonesian or "local hire" incomes taxes are governed by Article 21 (PPH-21) - taxable income = gross income - allowable deductions for family support X applicable tax rate.

• Foreign expatriate or "expat" incomes taxes are governed by Article 26 (PPH-26) - taxable income = gross X 20% with no allowable or itemized deductions.

As you can clearly see above, being paid the much lower or incommensurate "local salary" wage or being employed as a "local hire"; then being taxed as an "expat" or foreign worker is simply not right or fair.  They cannot have it both ways!

Some employers will only tell you or disclose to you what your monthly net income is.  Make sure they disclose or express in the employment contract what your gross monthly remuneration is, as well as under what tax article they will be taking any withholdings from you.

If your salary was quoted net, and you trusted in good faith that your local employer had paid your taxes according to your agreement, you may find in fact that the taxes were not paid in full, or even at all, and you could find yourself being liable for back taxes, penalties, interest and big problem on your hands!! Filing and payment of income taxes is ultimately YOUR sole responsibility not the employers. For further information regarding income taxes of expatriate workers see my other article under this title.

Also, if you are married to an Indonesian this will not help you either as the new immigration law that was just recently passed (UU 6 / 2011), which is supposed to afford foreign nationals in "mixed marriages" the right to work, still requires the Regional Manpower Office or Labor Dept ("DEPNAKER") to issue you a working permit.

When I first heard the acronym or buzz word of "DEPNAKER", I thought people were saying, "debt knocker" (they're going to come knocking on your door because you owe them money?! - WTF?) - LOL

 

 

When the new immigration law was passed, they [conveniently] omitted enabling legislation, law, or an Executive Order or directive concurrently that mandates that the Regional Manpower Office or "DEPNAKER" follow or be consistent with the provisions of UU 6/2011.  Consequently, "DEPNAKER" takes the position or has the cavalier attitude of, "hey, we don't know anything about that or what you're talking about" and will still require an expat who is married to an Indonesian, or who is a PR, to obtain a working permit and company sponsorship; even though the applicable sections of the new immigration law stipulate:

Article 61 -  The holder of a Permanent Resident Permit issued pursuant to Article 54 1(b) above may work and/or do business to provide a living for him/herself and/or for his or her family.

Article 63 (4) – the provisions concerning a foreigner having a Guarantor or sponsor DO NOT APPLY to foreign nationals who are legally married to Indonesian citizens.

Unless you are in oil, gas and mining (which is a big industry here in Indonesia), or you are a very high level executive, coming here first then trying to find work is going to be one very daunting and perhaps insurmountable mission for you.

I have also heard companies say, "we don't hire expats" - then you find out that they're a foreign company with expats or "bule" [pronounced: boo-lay] Directors, CEO's or other foreigners on their roster.   Colliers International this one is for you!  - LOL

As the American Express advertising campaign or marketing slogan goes, "Don't Leave Home Without It" - don't leave your country without FIRST having a working permit or company sponsorship, as well as a fair and equitable compensation package that is on par with what another expat in your position, field or industry would be making in Indonesia.  If you do accept to be employed as a "local hire" make sure your salary and benefits package is AT LEAST what a local Indonesian would be making, but definitely not less. 

Driving in (Jakarta) Indonesia - Part 2

(see also my related article - "Part 1")

Transportation in Jakarta

Not worth risking your life on ! 

Even if you have your own passenger car or driver and you are the safest, most defensive driver out there; you are still at great risk and constant danger because of all the other IDIOTS, ojeks, angkots, bajaj and overall lack of any safety (or exhaust emissions) inspections of passenger or commercial vehicles on the roads in Indonesia.   

It’s also a common occurrence to find motorbikes (who seem to rule and own the roadways) driving in the opposite direction towards you on the wrong side of the road. You’re expected to move out their way and yield the right of way to them nevertheless though !!  Entering a roadway is another matter; the person entering the roadway seems to have the right of way as they just pull out and into the road directly in your line of travel without looking or caring.  So actually, you should be yielding the right of way to them and expect that no one will follow or obey rules of the road or traffic laws here.  

People also have no concept of "blind spots" here by use of rear or side view mirrors.  Their peripheral vision extends to basically just a small arch directly in front of them. So, if you're along side or about to pass or overtake another car or motorbike, it is common for them to just cut in your direct path or go anywhere they want to.  The motorbikes actually do it intentionally knowing that a driver's natural reaction or reflex will be to tap or hit the brake giving them just the inch or millimeter they need to cut you in or off. If they don't see you, you're not there and they don't care.  Actually, even if they do see you they still don't care and will do whatever they want.  

If you get into an accident with a motorbike and you're driving a passenger car, regardless of how STUPID the person is who caused the accident, you the driver are at fault !  You are seen as the privileged haves, and they are the have-nots.  If the motorbike rider or passenger(s) are killed, you'll just have to pay money to the family(ies) so they can go out and buy their remaining or future offspring more motorbikes.  It's also common to see children riding motorbikes here, of course with their little friends or buddies on back.  I am convinced infants and children actually grow up on motorbikes or "ojeks" here.  It's simply just a way of life here.

The situation here as I describe from first hand experience has also been corroborated by others.  If you don't believe me, or think I am exaggerating, read this.  

Snippets of recent news:

Last week Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan admitted that many of the ministry’s inspectors had not performed well and had contributed to a string of accidents involving public transportation vehicles. House transportation commission deputy chief Nusyirwan Soejono said that the lack of monitoring by the ministry was the main reason why bus companies do not carry out frequent vehicle maintenance. Sunday’s Slipi Jaya accident certainly was preventable had the Mayasari bus driver – as so many public transport drivers do – not only entered a designated TransJakarta lane but drove in a dangerous manner whilst on it. Just when, may we ask, will Jakarta’s authorities fulfill their many promises to keep private vehicles out of Busway lanes? What are the licensing criteria for public bus drivers and who monitors it? How about the much-publicized campaigns to eradicate unlicensed Minivans and ensure drivers were uniformed and clearly indicate identity for passengers? It only needs a cursory glance at passing Angkot and Mikrolet to see that probably 90% of drivers are not wearing any uniform, but one can only guess at the vehicle’s license status. Come-on authorities – wake-up and do your job before more are killed!

There seems to be no end in sight to the spate of deadly bus crashes which hit Java over the past weeks with News on Monday of a Mayasari Bhakti bus causing multiple crashes early that morning near the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, claiming one life and severely injuring another. “The bus suddenly hit a taxi and then bumped into another taxi. The bus didn’t stop, but went on to hit a motorbike, a street vendor’s cart and a public minivan. The minivan subsequently hit another motorbike,” Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudharsono said as quoted by tempo.co. Just a day before, a Mayasari bus plying the Kampung Rambutan-Kalideres route hit a Transjakarta bus at the Slipi Jaya, West Jakarta, bus stop. The Mayasari, which entered the busway lane, rammed the bus from behind.

Religious Freedom or "Pluralism" in Indonesia ?

Does not exist !  Period.

There is not freedom of religion, or freedom from it, in Indonesia. Period, end of story!

The beleaguered Christian GKI Yasim Church in Bogor is a prime example.  Christians' right to worship there as [supposedly] protected by the Indonesian Constitution has been impeded by continued harassment and intimidation (a form of terrorism) by crowds of Islamic hard-liners. 

Although the Supreme Court of Indonesia and an Ombudsman rendered advisory opinions to the mayor of Bogor to re-open the GKI Yasim Church, which the Mayor of Bogor had closed down in 2008, neither President SBY nor the Minister of Religious Affairs will get involved as of this date to uphold and affirm the Constitutional protection [supposedly] afforded to Christians to worship freely.

When the Minister of Religious Affairs was asked to intervene, he said that it was not his concern or issue and refused to get involved.  If it's not his concern, then whose in the #@%& is it !!   Tell me now that there is religious freedom and pluralism in Indonesia?  It simply does not exist and is an ideological fantasy.      

This latest snippet of news below only compounds my previous article concerning this matter, however. 

My "Nostradomusian" prediction:  There will be civil wars (an oxymoron by the way, LOL) and "Holy Wars" (another oxymoron) in Indonesia in the not too distant future as all this continues to percolate or come to a boil in the social, cultural and political cauldron of this country. 

Here's an article appearing in What's New Jakarta publication:

E-KTP Programmed to Now Make Allowance for Citizens Outside Six Official Religions:

In what has to be a bold step and surely will not be without controversy as militant religious groups mushroom across the archipelago, the government plans to allow people who do not identify with any of the six official religions to leave the religion column on their identity cards blank, the Home Affairs Ministry says. The change is meant to put the country’s pluralistic founding principles into practice by offering a solution for people who have often felt marginalized by government policy due to their minority religious affiliations. “Believers in local religions, for instance, don’t have to fill out the religion column on their identity cards if they don’t want to. Just leave it empty,” Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said after opening a meeting on electronic identity cards, or e-KTP, in Jakarta on Monday, and reported by The Jakarta Globe. The existing law requires that every Indonesian citizen hold an identity card identifying them as one of these six religions. The country also does not recognize agnosticism or atheism. Gamawan said he would invite related officials, including Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali, to finalize the proposal. The plan, however, will be discussed further with the Ministry of Religious Affairs before being floated to the public.

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Another Related Article:

President Yudhoyono has been Urged to Show Leadership in Yasmin Saga:

Although Lawmakers Eva Kusuma Sundari and Lily Wahid - sister of the late president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid - have visited the Christian congregation in recent weekends to demonstrate their support for the congregation’s right to worship free of harassment by increasingly aggressive crowds of Islamic hard-liners, there has still been nothing heard from SBY – President Yudhoyono.

The president is now being challenged to uphold both his obligation as the head of state and his personal promise to resolve the increasingly untenable situation affecting Bogor’s GKI Yasmin church congregation. Rumadi, the program coordinator at think tank the Wahid Institute, said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had made a promise to church leaders when they met him at his residence in Bogor late last year. “You said you would make a personal visit to resolve the Yasmin church conflict. Your officials, the mayor of Bogor and related ministers have already shown that they cannot solve it themselves. Mr. President, you must fulfill your promise immediately,” Rumadi said at a news conference on Sunday and reported by The Jakarta Globe.

On Sunday, Lily Wahid remonstrated with protestors from the Indonesian Muslim Communication Forum (Forkami) and the Islamic Reform Movement (Garis) who surrounded a Bogor home where Yasmin congregation members were worshipping. She has previously said the president must step in to tell Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto to abide by a year-old Supreme Court ruling ordering him to reopen the Yasmin Church, which his administration has sealed off since 2008. Last Sunday saw a well-organised group of Islamist protesters with professionally produced signs and almost certainly not from the Bogor area disrupted yet another Prayer Service – this time in the private residence of a member of the Yasmin community.