Jakarta, May 26 -- Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said tax incentives for authors could support long-term economic growth by encouraging more people to write and publish books.

Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday, Purbaya said Indonesia still lacks authors, particularly scientific writers.

He said the incentives are expected to encourage more people to write and publish books, ultimately improving the quality of Indonesia's human resources.

"The impact may not be immediate, but in the long term. A year or two after books are published, readers may become more knowledgeable," he said.

Purbaya added that lower taxes for authors could encourage a wider variety of books, including fiction and non-fiction works.

The policy wo...