JAKARTA - The government reported a deficit in the State Budget (APBN) until the end of January 2026 reaching IDR 54.6 trillion or the highest in the last 5 years.
Based on data from the Ministry of Finance, state revenues as of January 31, 2026 reached Rp172.7 trillion or equivalent to 5.5 percent of the outlook of Rp3,152.6 trillion.
Meanwhile, state revenues were supported by tax revenue of Rp138.9 trillion, with details, realized tax revenue of Rp116.2 trillion or grew 30.7 percent (yoy), customs and excise of Rp22.6 trillion, and non-tax state revenues (PNBP) reached Rp33.9 trillion.
The Expert Staff of the Minister of Finance for Tax Compliance, Yon Arsal, explained that the Government recognizes that efforts to achieve the state revenue target this year face major challenges amid global uncertainty and the trend of relatively stagnant tax revenue growth in recent periods.
According to him, the pressure on state revenues is influenced by various structural and cyclical factors.
"This is where the importance of a representative fiscal policy lies, which is able to accommodate the needs of various parties, encourage economic growth according to targets, without dwarfing the business activities of the community," he said in a National Seminar and Policy Dialogue on cooperation between the Banom BPP HIPMI Tax Center and GP Ansor, quoted Friday, February 27.
Furthermore, he added, in the midst of the acceptance challenge, the government was able to maintain the 2025 state budget deficit below 3 percent, namely around 2.92 percent, and even targeted a lower deficit in 2026 of 2.68 percent.
"This shows the government's commitment to maintaining fiscal credibility," said Yon Arsal.
Meanwhile, the Head of AKN VI BPK RI Fathan Subchi said that BPK is committed to monitoring the budget that is channeled to the regions which of course comes from taxes, so that it can really be targeted and can have an impact on the welfare of the people.
HIPMI Promotes Tax Reform
Meanwhile, Chairman of the HIPMI Tax Center Banom BPP M. Arif Rohman assessed that the achievement of tax revenue in January 2026 of IDR 138.9 trillion or grew 20.5 percent (yoy) was a positive signal that the national fiscal foundation was getting stronger at the beginning of the year.
"The growth in tax revenue of 30.7 percent (yoy) as conveyed by Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa shows an improvement in economic activity as well as an increase in tax administration efficiency at the Directorate General of Taxes," said Arif.
This trend needs to be maintained by strengthening collaboration between the government and the business world, especially MSMEs and young entrepreneurs who are the basis of HIPMI and Ansor members.
He added that the optimization of revenue is not only based on intensification but also on the expansion of a healthy tax base, regulatory certainty, and the digitization of tax services that make it easier for taxpayers.
Arif said that in the future, his party would encourage the strategy to increase revenue in 2026 and beyond to continue to prioritize the principles of justice and sustainability.
According to him, tax reform must be able to create a conducive business climate so that economic growth goes hand in hand with an increase in the tax ratio.
"So the state budget target is not only achieved in nominal terms, but also reflects a more qualified and resilient revenue structure in the long term," he explained.
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