Ciliax Highlighted, IAW Reminds Risk Of Management And Safety Of Tax Systems Of IDR 1.23 Trillion

Tax illustration (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The national tax system update project or beliax is back in the spotlight after Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadive assessed that its quality was far from expectations. He even called the system as made by high school students' and considered it necessary to involve white hackers' white hat to test its safety.

The beliax is at the core of the Tax Administration Core System Update Project (PSIP) which has been initiated since 2018 through Presidential Regulation Number 40 of 2018. The project worth IDR 1.23 trillion is being worked on by the consortium LG CNS (South Korea) and Qualysoft (Indonesia), with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) as procurement agents.

Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) Founder Secretary Iskandar Sitorus assessed Purbaya's statement as a serious warning to potential financial risks and project governance. He said, without a thorough improvement, the beliax could be a burden on the state.

"Tax reform is not just a change of system, it must be a change engine, not digitalization cosmetics," said Iskandar in Jakarta, Monday, October 27.

Based on IAW data, this project is designed through four phases: design and blueprint (2021 2022), development and integration (20222023), testing and migration (2024), and going-live in 2025. However, the implementation has stalled due to system disruptions which had forced the DGT to reactivate the old e-Facture.

The provisional audit of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) also found a number of weaknesses, such as network segmentation that has not been optimal, weak authorization, and backup systems that do not meet ISO 27001 standards.

IAW recommends that the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) involve BPK and National CSIRT in a security audit before the next go-live stage.

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) itself, in a number of Examination Result Reports (LHP) from 2021 to 2023, highlighted the weak control of information technology and the low follow-up of audit recommendations within the DGT.

If this weakness is not patched, the beliax will only be a digital dashboard of old errors. Without *data cleansing*, human resources integrity, and discipline following up on BPK's findings, the tax ratio will not improve," said Iskandar.

IAW also highlighted the importance of independent cyber audits and the establishment of the Cross Project Supervisory Board involving BPK auditors and IT forensic experts. This step is considered important to ensure the safety and accountability of the public in the digital tax system.

Coretax is a real test of Indonesia's tax reform. If successful, it will be a milestone in digital fiscal sovereignty. If it fails, the loss is not only Rp1.23 trillion, but also the loss of public trust," said Iskandar.