Jakarta. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa plans to deploy an artificial intelligence-based detection system to identify untapped state revenue, with coal companies and gold trading among the government's key targets.

The technology will integrate and analyze data through the National Single Window Agency (LNSW) to detect potential underpayments of taxes and customs and excise obligations, Purbaya said on Wednesday.

The Finance Ministry is developing the use of AI to identify potential sources of state revenue by consolidating and analyzing available data through the LNSW system, he said.

“Any potential taxes or customs and excise revenue that have been missed can be detected early here. And usually, the accuracy is quite high,” Purbaya told reporters at the LNSW office in Jakarta.

The LNSW currently operates an electronic system handling customs, quarantine, shipping and other documentation related to exports, imports and national logistics.

By integrating and analyzing those datasets, the Finance Ministry expects to identify discrepancies that could indicate tax underpayments by individual companies.

Coal companies will be among the initial areas of focus because of the sector's significant potential contribution to state revenue, Purbaya said.

“Going forward, no one will be able to play games anymore. We will monitor this much more closely,” he said.

Gold Trading Also under Scrutiny
The government also sees significant potential for additional revenue from other natural-resource commodities, particularly gold trading.

Purbaya said authorities would use the system to examine taxes arising from gold transactions and identify potential underpayments associated with the buying and selling of the precious metal.

Preliminary reviews have identified indications of possible violations involving several companies, according to the minister.

Once the LNSW has compiled and analyzed the relevant information, the data will be provided to officials at the Directorate General of Taxes for further examination and potential enforcement against companies found to have failed to meet their tax obligations.

The initiative would expand the role of the LNSW beyond facilitating the electronic processing of trade and logistics documentation by using the large volume of information flowing through the system to identify potential revenue leakage.

AI-based analysis could allow authorities to cross-check information from different sources and flag discrepancies for further examination by tax officials.

Purbaya cautioned, however, that the initiative remains at an early stage and will require time before it can be fully implemented.

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