PBB WINS BATTLE TO CONTEST IN 2019 ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 6 (Antara) - The Crescent Star Party (PBB) was not mentioned when the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced last month the eligible political parties to contest in the 2019  presidential and legislative elections.         The PBB was said to have failed in fulfilling the requirements for participating in the 2019 elections. Yet the decision was challenged by the PBB by filing a petition with the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).          The Bawaslu on Sunday night (March 4), ruled in favor of PBB saying it is eligible to take part in the 2019 elections. Therefore, the KPU decided to stipulate PBB as eligible party to contest the 2018 elections.          In its open plenary meeting on Tuesday night the KPU officially stipulated that PBB is eligible to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections. The decision to include PBB as one of the electoral contestants in the 2019 elections followed the Bawaslu's ruling, which had decided that PBB deserved participation in the elections.

LOWER CLASS PEOPLE DESERVE FREE TAX ON LAND, BUILDING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 4 (Antara) - The government is considering scrapping land and building taxes (PBB) it collects from owners every year, but some are of the view that it should not generalize all tax payers in imposing the policy.          PBB is one of the main sources of original income (PAD) for regional and city governments. The abolition of PBB collection will significantly reduce their PAD.          Therefore, the government should not generalize PBB payers. It could eliminate its PBB collection from people who are grouped in the lower classes, but it must remain to be imposed on affluent PBB payers.          "If the abolition of the PBB is imposed on the poor, we in the regions will all agree to it," Ahyar Abduh, the Mataram mayor of West Nusa Tanggara Province, said on Saturday.          He said his side supported the government's plan to scrap the PBB but the policy should not be imposed on rich people because they are able to pay it.          The Mataram mayor made the comment in response to the plan of the agrarian and spatial planning minister to scrap the land and building taxes on dwelling houses.          Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said recently he was considering scrapping land and building tax, which burdens the public.  "This is my opinion. Later people will only pay land and building tax once when they seek land certificate," the minister said last week.