Students of the Bachelor of Accounting Study Program at Hayam Wuruk Perbanas University have won 1st Place in the Tax Debate Competition (Taxdec) 2021. The competition was organized by the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) East Java 1 with the Surabaya Tax Center Forum. The team of outstanding students, namely: Berthalia Permata Putri, Ayu Nur Faizah, and Dona Ambarsari.

When contacted after winning, one of the students, Berthalia Permata Putri, said that the competition was their first experience and achieved great results for the alma mater. Bertha said that at first they felt nervous and confused because they did not have experience in debating competitions. “Apart from that, we continue to learn together and try to give our best. Until finally, thank God, we passed the semifinals, then also qualified for the final round and managed to become 1st place," she said after the announcement of the winner on Thursday, August 18, 2021.

To take part in the competition, they must submit an Essay determined by the organizers with the theme “Tax Benefits for National Economic Recovery”. Bertha continued, the best 4 teams were selected to enter the semi-finals from well-known universities in Surabaya, one of them from Hayam Wuruk Perbanas University. "The title of our Essay is The Role of Taxation in the midst of a recession," she explained.

When entering the final round against Unair, the three UHW Perbanas students received a motion regarding the Consideration of Changes in VAT Tax Rates with a contra position. They felt that in the final round the atmosphere was hot enough to defend their respective teams' arguments. “During the third speaker before closing, we got 2 interruptions when delivering arguments. However, thank God we were able to respond to interruptions well and calmly. And, our closing speaker can also expressly convey the advantages compared to the opponent's argument," explained the 2019 student.

He was also very grateful to have received good guidance from a number of lecturers on campus. "Hopefully, because this is only the first competition and in the future there will be many competitions to be followed, hopefully it can be a good start. In addition, we can inspire and motivate and give encouragement to other friends who are preparing or participating in competitions," she hoped. (eko/hms)