Headline: Indonesia Shelves PPN Hike, Losing Out on Rp75 Trillion in Revenue
Subhead: Government scraps planned 12% VAT increase, impacting APBN 2025 and presidential programs
Article:
In a policy U-turn, the Indonesian government has abandoned plans to raise the value-added tax (VAT) or pajak pertambahan nilai (PPN) from 11% to 12% as of January 1, 2025. This decision, announced by Wakil Ketua DPR RI Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, has significant fiscal implications, with the government set to miss out on potential revenue of Rp75 trillion.
Theatetration of a 12% PPN would have only applied to barang mewah (luxury goods), a departure from the original plan to implement it across all goods and services. According to Dasco, the new policy change means that instead of the projected Rp75 trillion, the government will only gain an additional Rp3.2 trillion in additional APBN funds for 2025.
Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati played down the impact of the lost revenue, saying that the APBN management for 2025 is still dynamic and will be updated monthly. Dirjen Pajak Suryo Utomo acknowledged the loss but asserted that they would explore other avenues to boost tax revenue.
The decision to scrap the PPN hike could pose challenges for President Prabowo Subianto‘s administration, which has ambitious spending plans, including the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program, budgeted at Rp71 trillion this year. Analysts suggest that while the lost revenue will impact the fiscal position, it may not directly affect Prabowo’s flagship programs.
Ronny P Sasmita, Senior Analyst at the Indonesia Strategic and Economic Action Institution, argues that the government might consider raising debt or reallocating funds from low-priority projects to offset the lost revenue. However, he believes that Prabowo is unlikely to cut fuel subsidies to fund other programs due to the potential political backlash.
Yusuf Rendy Manilet, Economist at the Center of Reform on Economics (Core) Indonesia, agrees that the government has some room to maneuver and can consider optimizing revenues from other sectors, digitalizing taxation systems, and improving governance to compensate for the lost PPN increase.
Meanwhile, sustainability experts propose alternative revenue-generating measures. Tata Mustasya from SUSTAIN Indonesia suggests raising export taxes on coal and nickel to generate potentially Rp84.55 trillion to Rp353.7 trillion yearly. Abdurrahman Arum of Transisi Bersihi adds that a 10%-20% export tax on nickel products could generate Rp50 trillion to Rp100 trillion annually.
In conclusion, the Indonesian government’s decision to scrap the PPN hike has significant fiscal implications, posing challenges for President Prabowo’s administration. To offset the lost revenue, the government should explore various fiscal policy adjustments, improved governance, and revenue-generating measures to maintain its ambitious spending plans while ensuring fiscal sustainability.
Keywords: PPN, VAT, Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, APBN 2025, Makan Bergizi Gratis, fiscal policy, revenue
