Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has issued a firm clarification regarding allegations on social media regarding the imposition of taxes on aid goods from abroad for disaster victims in Sumatra. The issue went viral after an Indonesian citizen in Singapore expressed his dissatisfaction with the procedure on the digital platform.
Purbaya explained that import duty exemption facilities have been provided for disaster management and relief purposes. The main condition is that an application must be made to the Customs and Excise Department, along with a letter of support from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) or the District Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
Report to BNPB, No Restrictions
“Just report to BNPB, and the goods will be released. If there is no letter of support, there are parties who try to bring in goods without going through the procedure,” he said in the APBN KiTA press conference on Thursday (December 18, 2025).
According to him, the government does not impose taxes on disaster relief, as long as the prescribed procedures are followed. He also denied the notion that finance and customs officers are inhumane as claimed on social media.
The Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama, added that this facility has a clear legal basis through the Regulation of the Minister of Finance (PMK).
“The government provides customs facilities to support disaster relief efforts as provided for in PMK No. 69/PMK.04/2012, relating to imported goods in the form of gifts or donations for disaster relief purposes,” he explained.
However, he reminded that the completeness of the documents is still mandatory for the sender or recipient of the aid. With this clarification, the government hopes that the public will no longer be influenced by inaccurate information, and that foreign donors can follow official channels so that aid can be channeled quickly without any additional costs.
