Airlangga on Rupiah Breaching 17,300: BI's Job to Safeguard

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that the government will continue monitoring the rupiah’s movements in response to its weakening against the US dollar. “We’ll just monitor it. Because we can’t be reactive every day,” said Airlangga at the BKPM office in Jakarta on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

The rupiah breached the level of Rp17,200 per US dollar on Thursday morning, 23 April 2026. The rupiah exchange rate weakened compared to Wednesday’s trading, 22 April 2026, which closed at Rp17,180 per US dollar.

Airlangga said Indonesia is not the only country experiencing currency weakening. The Golkar politician stated that the rupiah’s depreciation is influenced by global dynamics. “Various currencies in the region are also volatile.”

The rupiah value reaching over Rp17,000 has further exceeded the boundary set in the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) of Rp16,500 per US dollar. “We’ll just monitor it and that’s BI’s job to safeguard,” said Airlangga.

Citing Trading Economics data, as of 09:50 the rupiah exchange rate was recorded at 17,295 per US dollar. The rupiah even briefly breached the level of 17,307 per US dollar on Thursday at 09:50.

Director of PT Traze Andalan Futures Ibrahim Assuabi stated that the rupiah breaching above 17,300 has exceeded initial expectations. “It’s very likely that by the end of April next week, it will breach 17,400 per US dollar,” he said in an official statement on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

Ibrahim stated that this condition is influenced by external factors from conflicts in the Middle East. This week’s meeting between the US and Iran facilitated by Pakistan did not reach an agreement because Iran did not attend the negotiations. “Because America has already violated weapons rules by seizing an Iranian tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.