Finance Minister Purbaya Acknowledges Social Media Criticism over Rupiah Weakness

JAKARTA — Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has acknowledged that he became the target of social media criticism regarding the rupiah’s exchange rate movement.

However, he assessed that the rupiah’s weakness remains moderate compared to the currencies of several regional countries.

Purbaya stated that pressure on developing country currencies is currently driven by rising global uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“If you look at the rupiah’s exchange rate against the US dollar since the war, the depreciation is around 0.3 per cent. It is far better than several countries around us,” Purbaya said during the March 2026 edition of the APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.

According to him, the comparison demonstrates that the rupiah remains relatively stable despite turbulent global markets.

Purbaya also acknowledged that the rupiah’s movement has attracted public attention, including on social media. He even received direct criticism from internet users on the TikTok platform.

“On TikTok, people scolded me. They said, ‘Sir Purbaya, finance minister, what are you doing, look at the rupiah,’” Purbaya said, mimicking the comments from social media users.

According to him, what is more important is comparing the rate of rupiah depreciation with other countries’ currencies so that the picture of market conditions becomes more objective.

“It is not just about looking at the level alone, but also how much it has weakened compared to other countries. From that perspective, we are doing reasonably well,” he said.

Purbaya assessed that the rupiah’s resilience currently reflects Indonesia’s economic fundamentals, which remain sufficiently strong.

He added that this stability also demonstrates market confidence in national economic management remains intact.

“We are still considered to be maintaining good fiscal and monetary policies and possess sufficiently strong economic foundations,” Purbaya said.