Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa dismissed the possibility of another tax amnesty program under his leadership, seeking to calm businesses and taxpayers amid concerns over potential audits of participants in the government's previous voluntary disclosure scheme.
"As long as I am finance minister, I will not implement a tax amnesty. If that happens, it means I've been fired," Purbaya told reporters at the Finance Ministry office in Jakarta on Monday.
He also assured taxpayers who had joined the tax amnesty or the Voluntary Disclosure Program (PPS) that the government would not revisit previously disclosed asset data.
"Assets that have already been declared will simply be subject to normal taxation going forward, in line with regular business developments," he said.
Purbaya urged the public, particularly business players, not to overreact to recent reports surrounding the PPS program regulated under Law No. 7/2021 on Harmonization of Tax Regulations (HPP).
According to him, the government remains committed to providing legal certainty for taxpayers who participated in the program and ensuring no policy would disrupt business activity.
"In principle, we do not make tax policies that interfere with the business sector. The noise that emerged recently will now be eliminated going forward," Purbaya said.
Responding to controversy over plans to audit tax amnesty participants, Purbaya said he would reprimand the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) to be more cautious in communicating tax policies to the public.
"I will instruct the DJP to consistently safeguard the business climate and provide legal certainty to the public so taxpayer trust and the sustainability of tax information management can be properly maintained," he said.
Purbaya added that, moving forward, only the finance minister would be authorized to publicly announce tax policies, while the DJP would act solely as the implementing agency.
"From now on, only I will announce tax policies, not the DJP, to avoid confusion. The Directorate General of Taxes is the executor, while I formulate and decide the policies," he said.
He also stated that any publication of tax policy on the DJP's official website would first undergo review by the Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Agency before being released.
Earlier, the DJP announced plans to examine taxpayers participating in the PPS, also known as the second round of tax amnesty, who were suspected of not fully disclosing their assets. The move was described as part of efforts to strengthen state revenue.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/purbaya-says-no-more-tax-amnesty-under-his-leadershi