Newspaper “Gestion” subject to harassment by government agency

The Superintendencia Nacional de Administracion Tributaria (SUNAT)–the government agency responsible for policing taxation and contraband–has ceased advertising in the business-oriented daily “Gestion”. The decision was made in response to articles published by “Gestion” in early March 1996 which were critical of SUNAT and the Peruvian government’s economic adjustment program. Shortly after the articles were published, […]

The Superintendencia Nacional de Administracion Tributaria
(SUNAT)–the government agency responsible for policing taxation
and contraband–has ceased advertising in the business-oriented
daily “Gestion”. The decision was made in response to articles
published by “Gestion” in early March 1996 which were critical of
SUNAT and the Peruvian government’s economic adjustment program.

Shortly after the articles were published, several telephone
calls were made by officials from SUNAT to the offices of
“Gestion” asking the paper to lessen its criticism of the
government agency. As well, “Gestion” was made to pay a service
charge after officials from SUNAT carried out an inspection of
the paper’s accounting books. Then, in the middle of March,
“Gestion” notified the Press Office of SUNAT that the paper was
withdrawing from a journalism competition organized by SUNAT due
to what “Gestion” maintained was unfair treatment on the part of
SUNAT.
A SUNAT representative later stated that the government agency
had decided to stop publishing notices in “Gestion” in response
to the articles that the paper published, which also included
criticisms made by the International Monetary Fund. On 18 March,
with the exception of one advertisement that had already been
ordered and paid for, and in spite of the fact that all the other
daily newspapers in Lima contained SUNAT advertisements, there
were none to be found in “Gestion”.
On 3 April, Finance Minister Jorge Camet is to speak before the
Finance Commission in order to explain the actions taken by SUNAT
against “Gestion”.

Recommended Action

Ing. Alberto Fujimori Fujimori

President

Palacio de Gobierno

Plaza de Armas

Lima 1, Peru

Fax: +511 4266770 (or +511 4266535 via presidential press office)

Adrian Revilla

Director

SUNAT

Fax: +511 4322530