Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has raised questions about the large sum of government funds piling up in fixed bank deposits. According to his records, the central and regional government funds in the form of fixed deposits were at Rp204.1 trillion and Rp204.2 trillion in December 2023 and December 2024, respectively. However, the value of fixed deposits surged to Rp286.5 trillion in August 2025.
"We are still investigating the nature of this money. When I asked my staff, they claimed not to know, but I am sure they do," Purbaya said to the media after attending the One Year of Prabowo-Gibran Administration event at Hotel JS Luwansa, Jakarta, on Thursday, October 16, 2025. Purbaya stated that he will further examine whether the funds are from government-related institutions or from other sources.
The former Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) mentioned that the piled-up fixed deposits are spread across commercial banks. Purbaya suspects that interest rates are being manipulated.
According to Purbaya, the amount of Rp286.5 trillion is too large to be placed as a deposit. He explained that the returns from placing deposits in banks are lower compared to the interest that the government has to pay for issuing bonds. "So, I doubt placing it there. I will double-check later," he said.
As of August 2025, the total amount of government deposits in banks was Rp653.4 trillion. This consisted of Rp285.6 trillion in fixed deposits, Rp357.4 trillion in current accounts, and Rp10.4 trillion in savings accounts. The central government's bank deposits total Rp399 trillion, while the regional government's total Rp254.3 trillion.