Following the official inauguration of the carbon exchange by President Jokowi on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, various questions have arisen among the public. One of them concerns the implementation of a carbon tax. Nevertheless, Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara has affirmed that the carbon tax scheme will proceed, even if it is not established concurrently with the launch of the carbon exchange.

According to Suahasil, the primary purpose of the carbon tax is not for state revenue but rather as an alternative for businesses that do not wish to purchase carbon credits. In other words, the government provides an option for businesses to contribute to reducing gas emissions.

If the carbon tax is successful, it could potentially reduce emissions by up to 31.89% in 2023. However, Prianto Budi Saptono, a lecturer in Fiscal Administration at the University of Indonesia, does not entirely agree.

As reported by bisnis.com, Prianto mentioned that the carbon tax may not come into effect and depends on the policies to be implemented. According to Prianto, the carbon exchange currently has a clear blueprint and roadmap, enabling it to be promptly implemented, while the carbon tax is still under discussion.

On the other hand, Febrio Nathan Kacaribu, the Head of Fiscal Policy at the Ministry of Finance, stated that there is currently no priority to establish a carbon tax. For now, the Ministry of Finance is preparing a roadmap to ensure that the implementation of the carbon tax will not disrupt economic growth. Therefore, as of now, the carbon tax has not yet been finalized.

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