{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1735960,
        "msgid": "anxiety-and-resignation-among-small-traders-as-rupiah-weakens-1778656110",
        "date": "2026-05-13 10:04:00",
        "title": "Anxiety and Resignation Among Small Traders as Rupiah Weakens",
        "author": "Erlangga Djumena",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Economy",
        "summary": "The weakening of the Indonesian rupiah against the US dollar is causing significant anxiety among small and medium enterprises (UMKM), particularly those reliant on imported raw materials like soybeans for tempeh production. Traders such as Maghfiroh in South Jakarta report rising costs for soybeans and packaging materials due to currency depreciation and supply disruptions from Middle Eastern conflicts, yet they cannot pass on these increases to customers without backlash. This situation highlights the vulnerability of Indonesia's informal economy to exchange rate fluctuations, potentially squeezing profit margins and threatening livelihoods amid broader economic pressures.",
        "content": "<p>JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The depreciation of the rupiah exchange rate\nagainst the US dollar is causing anxiety and resignation among actors in\nMicro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM).<\/p>\n<p>A tempeh artisan from Kebayoran, South Jakarta, Maghfiroh (43), is\nworried that the rupiah\u2019s weakening will drive up soybean prices\nfurther.<\/p>\n<p>Soybeans, the main raw material for tempeh, are known to be one of\nthe imported commodities.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the rupiah\u2019s weakening generally causes the prices of\nimported commodities to rise.<\/p>\n<p>Maghfiroh produces 70 to 75 kilograms of tempeh daily and sells it at\nPalmerah Market.<\/p>\n<p>For production needs, Maghfiroh purchases 1 ton of soybeans.<\/p>\n<p>According to her, every time she shops, the soybean price increases\nby Rp 5,000 per quintal or Rp 500 per kilogram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo if we shop per ton, per ton it means an increase of fifty\nthousand,\u201d said Maghfiroh.<\/p>\n<p>Even though raw materials are soaring, Maghfiroh admits she cannot\nraise the selling price or reduce the size of the tempeh.<\/p>\n<p>A price increase of even Rp 500 per piece or a smaller size would be\nprotested by buyers.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Maghfiroh is also faced with a sharp rise in\nplastic prices due to supply disruptions of naphtha raw materials from\nWest Asia (Middle East) as a result of war.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCustomers don\u2019t want it smaller, they don\u2019t want it thinner either.\nSo we keep the quality the same, the price the same, so the profit\ndecreases,\u201d said Maghfiroh.<\/p>\n<p>The same anxiety is felt by the owner of a food stall, Nurhayati\n(63). She said she heard news of the rupiah weakening when it fell to Rp\n17,400 per US dollar yesterday, Tuesday (13\/5\/2026).<\/p>\n<p>That moment was then used to exchange foreign currency (valas) that\nshe received from her child into rupiah.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/anxiety-and-resignation-among-small-traders-as-rupiah-weakens-1778656110",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}