Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dino Patti Djalal has urged the Indonesian government to reconsider its plan to pay US$1 billion, or the equivalent of Rp17 trillion, for membership fees to the US-backed Board of Peace. Dino warned that Rp17 trillion represents a significant amount for Indonesian diplomacy.
"Rp17 trillion is a fantastic figure, and throughout history, Indonesia has never paid such a large sum to join any international organization," Dino said via his account @dinopattidjalal, posted on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
The Chairperson and Founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) calculated that Rp17 trillion is equivalent to 500 times Indonesia's annual fees to the Asia Secretariat, the equivalent of 50 years of Indonesia's contributions to the United Nations, and even more than double the entire annual budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The same Rp17 trillion, Dino continued, is also equivalent to the taxes paid by two million lower-middle-class Indonesians. "Therefore, I'm surprised there hasn't been a thorough debate in the House of Representatives (DPR) regarding this Rp17 trillion figure," he said.
Furthermore, Dino also reminded that Indonesia is not the United States, Saudi Arabia, or Qatar, which possess extraordinary financial resources. Indonesia's fiscal space remains very limited compared to those petrodollar-rich countries. He said the Indonesian economy is still fraught with anxiety over budget tightening due to lighthouse programs like the free nutritious meals program.
At the same time, the clean energy transition remains slow due to a lack of funding, the rupiah is weakening, domestic and foreign investor confidence is still weak, people's purchasing power is declining, and global economic uncertainty is increasing and posing risks.
Therefore, Dino concluded that the Rp17 trillion to be paid to the Board of Peace and claimed to be intended to help Palestine is actually still desperately needed for domestic needs. "Don't forget, what is also very urgent is that our brothers and sisters in Sumatra who were affected by floods and landslides still desperately need reconstruction and rehabilitation assistance," he said.
According to Dino, Indonesia's contribution to Palestine must still be based on its capabilities. He stated that the program of deploying peacekeeping troops to Palestine was more than enough to help the country, considering that America and Arab countries were not even willing to do so.
Furthermore, Dino said that the Palestinian people themselves did not ask for the Rp17 trillion. The money was requested by the Board of Peace, which does not include Palestine. Instead, the board is filled with Israel's allies.
"The Palestinians didn't ask for it because they know Indonesia's limited capabilities, and they know what they need most from Indonesia is moral support, political support, and diplomatic support," he said.
In closing, the diplomat from the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration advised the government not to rush into deciding to become a permanent member of the association initiated by Donald Trump.
"It would be better for us to just become regular members first and see where this Board of Peace is headed, what its accountability is, and whether it will truly side with Palestine," he said.
Previously, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that the Ministry was still awaiting President Prabowo Subianto's assignment to allocate the funds. However, he was confident the contributions would be funded by the state. "I think most of it will come from the budget, right? From the state budget," Purbaya said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.