{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1698912,
        "msgid": "rupiah-weakens-dpr-member-this-is-an-alarm-for-the-government-1777031543",
        "date": "2026-04-24 18:14:29",
        "title": "Rupiah Weakens, DPR Member: This is an Alarm for the Government",
        "author": "Bilal Ramadhan",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Economy",
        "summary": "A member of Indonesia's House of Representatives Commission XI, Bertu Merlas, has warned the government to heed the weakening rupiah against the US dollar, which could erode public purchasing power by driving up import prices and production costs. He urged swift measures to curb potential inflation spikes, particularly for essential goods, through enhanced market operations, targeted social aid, and support for SMEs to prevent broader socio-economic instability. Bank Indonesia reports the rupiah at Rp17,140 per dollar as of 21 April 2026, deeming it undervalued given solid domestic fundamentals, and continues interventions to stabilise the currency while maintaining monetary policy focus on exchange rate and inflation control.",
        "content": "<p>JAKARTA - A member of the House of Representatives Commission XI,\nBertu Merlas, has reminded the government to be wary of the current\nweakening of the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar. According\nto him, the rupiah\u2019s depreciation has the potential to pressure public\npurchasing power as it could directly impact rising prices of imported\ngoods and domestic production costs. \u201cThe current rupiah condition must\nserve as an alarm for the government. This weakening directly affects\nthe increase in prices of imported goods and production costs. If prices\nrise while public incomes stagnate, purchasing power will plummet,\u201d\nBertu stated in a written release on Friday (24\/4\/2026). Therefore, the\ngovernment needs to promptly anticipate the potential surge in\ninflation, especially for staple needs most felt by low-income\ncommunities. \u201cIf not mitigated quickly, this cost burden will be passed\non to consumers through price increases of finished goods, ultimately\neroding public welfare directly,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout government\nintervention to stabilise prices of staple needs, the risk of\nsocio-economic instability will widen considerably,\u201d he added. For\ninstance, through strengthening market operations and distribution of\nbasic commodities, targeted social assistance distribution, as well as\neasing access to financing and incentives for SMEs. \u201cControlling\ninflation is the primary key. The government must ensure secure supply\nand stable prices. Subsidies and social assistance must truly reach the\nrightful hands so that people\u2019s purchasing power is not further eroded,\u201d\nhe concluded. Based on BI data, the rupiah stood at Rp17,140 per US\ndollar on 21 April 2026, or weakened by 0.87 percent compared to the\nend-of-March 2026 position. However, BI Governor Perry Warjiyo stated\nthat fundamentally, the rupiah should still be able to move stronger in\nline with the solid performance of the domestic economy. \u201cWe emphasise\nthat the current rupiah exchange rate is undervalued compared to the\nfundamentals,\u201d Perry said at a press conference on Wednesday\n(22\/4\/2026). To maintain stability, BI continues to intervene in the\nforeign exchange market, both through spot transactions, DNDF, and the\noffshore non-deliverable forward (NDF) market. In addition, the central\nbank is also maintaining adequate foreign exchange reserves and\nenhancing the attractiveness of domestic financial instruments to\nattract foreign capital inflows. BI emphasises that monetary policy\nremains directed at maintaining exchange rate and inflation stability,\nwhile macroprudential policy and the payment system are focused on\nsupporting economic growth.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rupiah-weakens-dpr-member-this-is-an-alarm-for-the-government-1777031543",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}