Minister Purbaya Vows to Intensify Surprise Inspections of Steel Companies in Indonesia
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has confirmed the government will tighten supervision of companies suspected of not fulfilling tax obligations in accordance with their business scale. One sector under particular scrutiny is the steel industry.
Purbaya stated the government will not hesitate to conduct unannounced inspections (sidak) at companies indicated to have discrepancies between their business activities and reported taxes. This measure is intended to create a level playing field and fair competition for all industry players.
“The government wants to ensure that every company has an equal opportunity to grow. Therefore, all business actors must fulfil their obligations fairly and in accordance with the rules. This way, the national industry can grow healthily and sustainably,” Purbaya said in an official statement on Thursday (25/6/2026).
The statement was made after Purbaya conducted a surprise inspection of a Chinese-owned steel company operating in the Pulogadung area, Jakarta. The visit was part of the government’s efforts to strengthen tax compliance supervision while maintaining a healthy business competition climate in the industrial sector.
Purbaya said the government has no intention of hindering business activities. On the contrary, supervision is carried out so that all business actors run their businesses transparently and in accordance with applicable regulations.
“We want to ensure that all companies operating in Indonesia carry out their business activities in accordance with applicable regulations. Our goal is not to hinder or shut down businesses, but to ensure the creation of healthy and fair competition for all industry players,” he said.
The inspection was conducted after the government found initial indications of a mismatch between the scale of the company’s business activities and its reported tax obligations. Based on data held by the government, there is a suspicion that the value of taxes paid does not yet reflect the magnitude of the company’s business activities. Consequently, the government has requested the company to submit a number of documents and supporting data for further verification.
However, Purbaya stressed that the ongoing process is still at the clarification stage and has not yet reached any conclusion regarding violations. “We ask the company to present the relevant documents so that the entire process can be carried out openly and based on facts. That way, we can fairly assess the business practices being conducted,” he said.
The management of the inspected company stated that all its business activities have been carried out in accordance with the provisions in force in Indonesia. The company also expressed its readiness to cooperate with the government in the ongoing clarification process.
Purbaya welcomed this cooperative attitude and instructed tax authority officials to expedite the collection and analysis of data so that the verification process can provide certainty for all parties as soon as possible.