Jakarta. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has vowed to take firm action against tax officials found to have engaged in corruption, following a graft case that has ensnared several employees of the tax authority.

Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, Purbaya said the government is considering sweeping personnel rotations within the Directorate General of Taxes, including reassignment to remote areas, temporary removal from duties, or placing officials on leave while cases are reviewed.

“Tax officials will likely be reshuffled. Those who appear to be involved could be posted to remote regions or fired,” Purbaya said. He added that the measures are part of a broader effort to restore integrity and public trust in the tax administration.

Purbaya said the scope and severity of sanctions would depend on the level of involvement in wrongdoing. Minor violations could result in routine rotation, while serious offenses would warrant harsher measures.

“We will assess the extent of each person’s involvement. If it’s minor, then a rotation may be enough. But if it’s serious misconduct, rotation alone is meaningless,” he said.

The finance minister was responding to reports of a search conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the offices of the Directorate General of Taxes. He confirmed that the action was linked to alleged legal violations by tax officials and said the ministry would not interfere with the ongoing investigation.

The KPK is currently probing a corruption case involving tax officers earlier this year. Three officials from the North Jakarta Tax Office have been named as suspects in the case.

Despite the investigation, Purbaya said the Finance Ministry would continue to provide legal assistance to the suspects, adding that they remain civil servants until a court rules otherwise. He stressed, however, that such support would not affect the independence of the legal process.

The corruption case comes as Indonesia struggles to meet its tax revenue targets. National tax collections in 2025 reached Rp 1,917.6 trillion, or about 87.6% of the Rp 2,189.3 trillion target set in the state budget, leaving a shortfall of Rp 271.7 trillion.

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