ANTARA CEO: War on Disinformation Must Be Taken Seriously

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The President Director of the National News Agency (LKBN) ANTARA, Benny Siga Butarbutar, stated that the war against disinformation is no longer a trivial matter and must be addressed seriously through collaboration with fellow government media outlets. According to him, the current era of information technology development has created an unstable situation. He therefore encouraged the issuance of a presidential regulation (perpres) to support government media in fighting disinformation and hoaxes. “In this era, the dissemination of hoaxes requires anti-hoax measures and also cooperation not only among government media, other media, but also foreign news agencies,” Benny said after a financial report meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Thursday. He believes that a presidential regulation would provide legal certainty for the fight against disinformation. With such certainty, the struggle to maintain the democracy index, media civility, and the dissemination of information for the public interest can be improved. Benny also noted that the meeting agreed that pressure on the media remains significant, so government broadcasting institutions must be more creative with their existing budgets. Regarding financial performance, he reported that ANTARA experienced an increase in revenue with a positive profit. The 2025 financial performance showed considerable growth compared to 2024, with operating revenue reaching Rp500.53 billion, up from Rp453.93 billion the previous year. He also conveyed that ANTARA continues to contribute to state revenue by contributing Rp69.64 billion in taxes in 2025, comprising Value Added Tax (VAT), Income Tax (PPh), regional taxes, and other levies. “VAT alone reached Rp43.29 billion, which is the largest component. Meanwhile, Income Tax reached Rp25.75 billion, including PPh 21, 23, 20, and 26,” Benny stated.