Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Tax refund for overseas tourists planned to boost tourism

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Tax refund for overseas tourists planned to boost tourism

Aditya Suharmoko , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 08/26/2009 1:53 PM

Indonesia plans to introduce a "tax refund" scheme for foreign tourists shopping here as early as next year, as stipulated under the amendment of the existing law on value-added tax and luxury tax, the House of Representatives says.

The government and House have agreed to approve the tax refund scheme in a bid to attract more tourists to come shopping here, which would eventually help increase the country's foreign exchange income, Vera Febyanthy, head of the House's working committee on the law amendment, said Tuesday.

Singapore and Malaysia have already applied a similar tax refund scheme.

Indonesia may start introducing the tax refund scheme as soon as 2010 as the bill on value-added tax and luxury tax is expected to be endorsed this year, having been first discussed in mid-2008 at the House.

"We have approved the tax refund (scheme).

"It will be applied to foreign tourists coming via air only, not including sea or land," said Vera, adding that the details of the tax refund mechanism would be elaborated later via government regulations.

The Finance Ministry's directorate general of taxation will need to cooperate with the Law and Human Rights Ministry's directorate general of immigration for the implementations of the refund mechanism.

Vera also said the House and the government had yet to agree on the minimum amount of purchases that would be eligible for the tax refund scheme.

"The government proposes a total purchase of at least Rp 5 million (US$498.5)," Vera said, but lawmakers are seeking a lower figure.

As a comparison, in Singapore, a tourist is eligible for a tax refund if he/she spends a minimum of S$100 (US$69.33) at a participating retail shop on a single day, according to the Singapore Customs website.

The tourist can accumulate up to three receipts on same day purchases from the same retailer to meet the S$100 threshold.

Retail expert Handaka Santosa said that, while it was good news, the government and the House had been "very slow" in deliberating the bill on value-added tax and luxury tax to anticipate the level of global competition in attracting tourists.

"While (the benefit of) the tax refund may be small, the psychological effect is good; it will encourage tourists to shop here," he said.

"Now, for the same items, tourists who travel Southeast Asia won't buy the items here, but in Singapore or Malaysia as they are cheaper there."

Handaka added that the government and the House should consider decreasing the currently high luxury tax imposed on hand-carried luxurious items, such as watches and handbags, as the tax made the luxurious items far more expensive than those in neighboring countries.

"Consider this. People would rather travel to and buy the luxurious goods at neighboring countries, considering the price differences. They don't have to declare the goods (to Indonesia's customs) when they arrive here," he said.