Purbaya Calls for DJBC Overhaul Within a Year to Boost Customs

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa affirmed his commitment to improve the performance, capacity, professionalism, and work methods of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) during an internal meeting in Jakarta on 28 November 2025. He noted that the agency’s image is currently perceived as poor by both the public and senior officials.

Purbaya gave the DJBC a one‑year deadline for improvement, warning that continued underperformance could lead to a re‑freezing of the agency, similar to the action taken during President Soeharto’s era when Swiss firm Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) temporarily assumed customs duties. He also expressed concern for the roughly 16,000 DJBC employees who could be affected if progress is not achieved.

The government aims to introduce innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) at customs inspection posts to streamline cargo monitoring. Successful reform will influence the job security of DJBC staff and public satisfaction with customs services.