Planned 15% export tax on mineral to boost state revenue

Director General of Mineral and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Thamrin Sihite admitted that his office is still waiting for the Finance Minister decree on the planned export tax on mineral.

?The proposal to impose export tax aims to increase state revenue,? Thamrin said as quoted by Kontan. The newspaper says the planned export tax on mineral is 15 percent, lower than the 25-50 percent reported recently by several media.

Thamrin made the comment on the sidelines of his visit to the State Finance Development Comptroller (BPKP) office on Tuesday.

Head of the State Revenue policy unit at the Finance Ministry admitted that the office had received the proposal of 15 percent export tax on mineral submitted by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, saying ?It has not been decided yet. We don?t know when it would be implemented."

It remains unclear whether the proposal of export tax would be aimed for all kinds of mineral and coal.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik earlier strongly denied the statement by a senior official at the Industry Ministry on plan to impose mining export tax between 25 percent this year up to 50 percent in 2013.

?We are not on such plan (to impose mining export). It is still under study,? Agus told reporters on the sidelines of a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office earlier. (*)