We expect tax revenues to not depend solely on the commodity price windfall. We need to be mindful of this because our tax revenues cannot hinge on commodity prices.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government will continue exploring new tax revenue sources for 2023 so as not to rely solely on the potential revenue from the increasing commodity prices this year, an expert staff at the Finance Ministry has said.

"We expect tax revenues to not depend solely on the commodity price windfall. We need to be mindful of this because our tax revenues cannot hinge on commodity prices," expert staff for the ministry's taxation monitoring division, Nufransa Wira Sakti, informed.

Speaking at a podcast, which was followed online from here Tuesday, he informed that the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) is currently exploring the potential for levying taxes on local online marketplaces.

To test the scheme, the directorate general will select a government marketplace usually used by government institutions to procure items, he said.

The government will set up a special team to study regulations, business processes, and development potentials in current trends, such as online gaming transactions, he added.

Related news: Minister estimates tax revenues in 2023 to reach Rp2,016.9 trillion

Further, the government will also improve its services to assist residents in paying taxes to increase tax compliance among taxpayers, for instance, by simplifying the transaction report format that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are required to submit, he said.

"A lot of MSME actors are connected to online marketplaces now, and they sell their products over the phone. We will conceive solutions (to help them) compile their sales data in comprehensive service, and they could submit their report with just a click," Sakti explained.

An improvement in the tax compliance rate will help boost state revenues and prevent State Budget financing through debt, he said.

"It is proven that if our tax revenue increases, we can reduce (State Budget) financing (through debt), hence we could issue government securities less than planned as tax revenues alone could cover our spending," Sakti added.


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Translator: Sanya Dinda S, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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