Next week’s discussion is on India’s proposal for a three-tiered tax on popcorn. Have some thoughts on this issue? Send us your response (no more than 300 words) by filling out this form or emailing [email protected] by 11.59pm on January 8.
Thoughts from last week
Ellisha Yao, 16, German Swiss International School
A recent extrajudicial killing of a teenager by a police officer in Indonesia has escalated scrutiny on the pervasive issue of police brutality in the country.
The lack of transparency in the police’s handling of this case reveals that they are not adhering to legal standards. Instead of prioritising due process, police are focused on maintaining control and suppressing dissent.
Therefore, as a retributive legal response to this issue, officers involved in extrajudicial killings should face prosecution, ensuring that they are held accountable. This includes proportionate sentencing that reflects the severity of their crimes and losing their police credentials.
Robust mechanisms for accountability need to counter a justice system that allows for instances of police brutality to go unpunished. Enhanced oversight from independent bodies can ensure that cases of torture and mistreatment are deterred. Additionally, as police powers within the presidential cabinet are thought to enable this current abuse of power, policymakers must consider the broader implications this has on a society that already distrusts and is disillusioned by the police.
Longer-term solutions must also be considered. Regulations of the police’s use of firearms could be put in place, and budget cuts to police funding could potentially redirect resources away from aggressive law enforcement equipment.
Training programmes should be reformed by integrating conflict resolution techniques, de-escalation strategies, and empathy training into police curricula. This would emphasise emotional intelligence within police training, dismantling the prevailing culture of violence among officers.
Without significant reforms, Indonesia risks perpetuating a cycle of corruption that threatens its democratic foundations and human rights.
Read up on the issue in last week’s The Lens
Read and observe
The Indian government’s move to impose a three-tiered tax on popcorn based on its sugar or spice content has caused tempers to pop.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council announced that with immediate effect, non-branded popcorn mixed with salt and spices would attract five per cent GST, pre-packaged and branded popcorn 12 per cent, and caramel popcorn categorised as a sugar confectionery 18 per cent.
The announcement was scorned online, highlighting the country’s excessive regulations and high taxation even on an item like popcorn.
Loyalists for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party defended the government from the popcorn tax critics.
“Only 2.2% of Indians pay #income tax. Beware of people crying about taxes and #Popcorn Tax on the internet. Most have neither paid income tax nor purchased #popcorn from theatres. They are trying to make you feel bad about your country, that’s it,” read a post by @RimJim.
Bali implements US$10 tourism e-tax in a bid to protect the island’s culture
Experts have urged administrative reforms to better deliver on the government’s aim to simplify the system to make it less daunting for producers and consumers.
Lloyd Mathias, a New Delhi-based business strategist, said repeated meetings of the GST Council to tinker with taxes “speaks of lack of cohesiveness and arbitrariness rather than simplifying the GST structure”.
Others said that the government had been trying to simplify the taxation process. “The government’s intention, right from day one, is to have a more streamlined system of taxation, and in many other ways they’ve been able to, or at least are on the path to achieve it,” said Sweta Rajan, partner at Economic Laws Practice. However, Rajan said there was excessive government intervention concerning classifying and taxing products.
Staff writer
Research and respond
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What do you think of the GST Council’s decision to tax popcorn based on salt and sugar content? Do you think the public’s reactions are justified?
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What might the GST Council achieve with these new tax regulations?
