PALMOILMAGAZINE, ROKAN HILIR — In a historic first under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, oil palm smallholders publicly recited the Taxpayers’ Charter during an event held at Suzuya Hotel, Bagan Batu, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau, on Tuesday (29/7/2025).
The recital was part of a workshop themed “Successful Tax Management Strategies for Smallholder Palm Oil Plantations”, organized by the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association (APKASINDO), in collaboration with the Riau Regional Office of the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) and the Rokan Hilir Regency Government.
According to Head of the DJP Riau Regional Office, Ardiyanto Basuki, the reading of the Taxpayers’ Charter was a direct initiative of the Director General of Taxes, Dr. Bimo Wijayanto, aimed at promoting tax literacy and awareness among grassroots communities.
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“This declaration draws inspiration from global best practices in tax administration. Its purpose is to ensure that people understand their rights and obligations as taxpayers. This is a concrete step to close the information gap,” Ardiyanto remarked during his opening speech.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including Chairman of APKASINDO Riau H. Suher; Secretary General of APKASINDO National Board Rino Afrino; Regional Secretary of APKASINDO Djono A. Burhan; Head of Dumai Tax Office Edy Waluyo; and Head of Rokan Hilir Food Security and Agriculture Service Cicik Mawardi Athar, AP. Also present were representatives from 13 farming cooperatives, 10 farmer group associations (Gapoktan), and three palm oil mills (PKS).
The declaration of the Taxpayersʼ Charter was delivered by H. Suher, accompanied by APKASINDO Rokan Hilir Chairman Tommy Efo Sihombing and APKASINDO Dumai Vice Chairman. The charter outlines eight taxpayer rights and eight obligations as a foundation for building transparent, fair, and accountable tax governance.
Secretary General of APKASINDO National Board, Rino Afrino, enthusiastically welcomed the initiative, stating that similar declarations will be rolled out by APKASINDO branches in 25 provinces and 164 districts/cities.
“This is a real form of farmers’ participation in supporting President Prabowo’s target of achieving 8% economic growth,” Rino told Palmoilmagazine.com on Wednesday (30/7/2025). He also highlighted the symbolic importance of Bagan Batu, where former President Joko Widodo once planted oil palm seedlings in a smallholder replanting program in 2018.
Rino concluded his statement by echoing the 2025 Tax Day slogan: “Growing Taxes, Stronger Indonesia.”
Huge Potential of Riau’s Smallholder Palm Oil
Riau Province currently hosts nearly 4 million hectares of oil palm plantations, over 2 million hectares of which are owned by smallholders. With more than 600,000 farming families relying on the sector for their livelihood, smallholder palm oil has become a critical pillar of people-centered economic development.
Through the declaration of the Taxpayers’ Charter, smallholder farmers are not only demonstrating their commitment to fiscal responsibility but also strengthening their role as active citizens contributing to nation-building. (P2)
