GoPay Aims for Potential Tax Payment and Restitution Transactions

A financial technology company (fintech) GoPay hooks local governments to provide land and building tax (PBB) payment services and user fees through the GoTagihan feature. Most recently, the Gojek business unit is collaborating with the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta.

In total, the company has hooked up 12 local governments to take advantage of GoTagihan. Other areas are Central Java, Yogyakarta, North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Riau, Riau Islands and East Java.

GoPay Managing Director Budi Gandasoebrate said that Bank Indonesia (BI) is optimistic that local revenue (PAD) can increase by an average of 11% if using non-cash transactions. In addition, people are encouraged to make non-cash transactions to minimize the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

“This (GoTagihan) makes it easier for citizens to pay and the government in collecting taxes,” Budi said during a virtual press conference, Wednesday (23/9).

Users only need to enter the Gojek application and have a public service category. Then select the PBB and retribution icon, then enter the bill number and confirm. Consumers can also pay various types of bills such as electricity, water to telecommunications through GoTagihan.

Head of DKI Jakarta Provincial Revenue Agency Mohammad Tsani Annafari said regional taxes reached IDR 19.2 trillion per September. The value is far below the initial target of IDR 50.1 trillion. Local tax revenue is not optimal, because of the Covid-19 impact.

“The hotel and restaurant taxes are battered,” said Tsani. Because these two sectors were hit by the corona pandemic. Income from PBB has also fallen, as building managers lost tenants during the pandemic.

Therefore, they have difficulty paying taxes. However, he is optimistic that digital services will be able to maximize UN revenue during the pandemic. “It can attract individual Gojek users,” he said.

Linkaja and OVO also Provide Similar Services

Apart from Gojek, OVO and LinkAja provide similar services. LinkAja is working with the Banyuwangi government, East Java to provide levy payment services. President Director of LinkAja Haryati Lawidjaja said, before the pandemic, the company served many payments for transportation, especially trains.

However, their use for transportation has decreased since the implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB). During a pandemic, services are mostly used for transactions of basic necessities and food.

“Transactions for transportation or paying for gas stations have definitely decreased because people don’t go anywhere. But that doesn’t mean we can’t grow. Most users use LinkAja to shop at traditional markets,” said the woman who is familiarly called Fey in the Financial Services Breakthrough in Pandemic Webinar, Saturday (29/8).

As is well known, LinkAja in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemkominfo) is involved in the revitalization process of traditional markets throughout Indonesia. In this collaboration, LinkAja provides digital shopping payment solutions in 18 traditional markets spread across Jakarta.

OVO Collaborates With Tokopedia for Similar Services

Meanwhile, OVO together with Tokopedia and the Regional Development Bank (BPD) Bali provides payment services for local taxes and levies. The e-commerce platform Tokopedia has a tax payment service called “state revenue”.

Users can pay more than 900 types of state revenue through this feature. These services include paying Income Tax (PPh) 21, 23, and others, Value Added Tax (PPN), KUA fees, extending your passport or driver’s license, customs, and hundreds of other types of state revenue.

Although regional revenue has decreased, fintech services are in demand during the corona pandemic. OVO recorded an increase in transactions for e-commerce of more than 100% and loans of nearly 50% as of the end of last March Likewise with GoPay.

Only GoPay Head of Corporate Communications, Winny Triswandhani, did not specify the increase. He only mentioned that monthly bill payments through GoBills, GoPulsa, game vouchers and online shopping have surged. The trend of donating through GoPay has also tripled compared to before the pandemic.