Impact of Rp25 Trillion Tax Refund Leak, Purbaya to Dismiss Two Ministry of Finance Officials
Finance Minister (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa plans to dismiss two officials within the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) in the near future. This step is being taken after issues were identified in the management of tax refunds.
Purbaya revealed that his team has conducted an investigation into several officials involved in the refund process. The findings identified five officials with significant roles, two of whom will be dismissed shortly.
“I investigated five high-ranking officials handling the most refunds. Today, I will dismiss two of them,” Purbaya told reporters at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Monday (4/5/2026).
According to him, this internal investigation is separate from the comprehensive audit of tax refunds that he has submitted to the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP). The BPK audit covers the period from 2016 to 2025.
“I requested a proper audit so we don’t get caught off guard. Especially in the coal industry. I covered Rp25 trillion in VAT refunds out of pocket, net, so I had to pay. There were inaccuracies in the calculations,” Purbaya stated.
“So the message is, when there’s an institution like that, run it properly, don’t go overboard. I’m not joking around. There are two that I will dismiss,” he added.
However, Purbaya has not disclosed the identities of the officials to be dismissed.
According to him, the decision is not solely based on the amount of refunds issued, but more on the accuracy of information provided to the leadership.
“The overreach is in not providing accurate updates on developments. So, last year, I misjudged the total refunds that would come out. Even though in the meeting, I asked how much the potential was. They said, a little. They are my staff,” he explained.
Purbaya elaborated that this projection error impacted fiscal policy decisions because the data received did not reflect the actual situation.
He assured that in the future, the implementation of refunds will be more measured and with fewer data errors. Because if anyone tampers with refund data, Purbaya emphasised that the relevant parties will be held accountable.