Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has clarified the intent behind President Prabowo Subianto's recent statement that villagers do not use the US dollar, stating the remarks were meant to engage and entertain the public.
"It was simply to entertain the crowd there. I saw the context of the village setting at the time; it is okay to say that," Purbaya remarked at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, May 18, 2026.
The former Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) emphasized that the President's choice of words should not be interpreted as a lack of economic literacy.
"He was speaking in the countryside; the context was for the people there. It does not mean the President fails to understand the rupiah. He is, in fact, excellent. It is about the context," Purbaya noted.
He further argued that the statement only gained traction because it was amplified by the press. "The media blew it out of proportion, and from there, it spread everywhere," he said.
When questioned about the risk of imported inflation stemming from the domestic currency's depreciation, Purbaya suggested that technical economic jargon holds little relevance for rural communities. "Do they understand imported inflation? How much would they understand if it were explained to them? Theoretically, imported inflation is not overly significant [in that setting]," Purbaya added.
During a speech in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, President Prabowo stated he was not overly concerned by the rupiah's slide against the greenback. He maintained that the fluctuations in the exchange rate do not have a direct impact on the daily lives of those in rural areas.
The Gerindra Party Chair noted that critics often claim Indonesia's economy is in jeopardy whenever the rupiah weakens. "Now, there are always those who, for whatever reason, insist that Indonesia will collapse or fall into chaos, right?" he remarked.
– Sultan Abdurrahman and Anastasya Lavenia Yudi contributed to this report.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2104181/purbaya-prabowos-dollar-remarks-meant-to-entertai