West Sepik to work with IRC on border tax collection

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
THE West Sepik administration plans to work with the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) to collect the correct goods and services tax (GST) at the border with Indonesia, an official says.
Provincial administrator Conrad Tilau told The National that normal border operations resumed at the Wutung border post (Batas) when it reopened for business in October after the Coronavirus pandemic cases decreased.
“When the border gate was reopened, normal border operations resumed including the collection of customs import duties and so forth,” Tilau said.
“The provincial government wants to partner with IRC so that we can collect the 10 per cent GST (goods and services) at Batas.
“To keep the place clean, we will levy the shoppers a fee.
Other than that, the border is open for normal business.”
He said however that was being done slowly.
Indonesia’s consul-general in Vanimo, Allen Simarmata, said the opening of Batas triggered an increase in economic activities.
Simarmata said people on both sides of the border depended on trade at Batas.
“Since the re-opening of Wutung border post on Oct 24, trade between Indonesia and PNG, especially by the immediate communities living in the Skouw-Wutung border area, is rapidly coming back to normal,” he said.
“The people of both countries at Batas and the border area depend on the opening of both Skouw and Wutung border post not only to do trade or buying and selling goods but also the livelihood of subsistence farmers to work on land situated on either side.”