Finance Minister Purbaya Rejects IMF Debt Offer: Not Needed Yet, We Still Have US$25 Billion

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa recounted the moment he rejected a funding or debt assistance offer from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during a bilateral meeting in the United States some time ago. He stated that at the beginning of the visit to the IMF, they discussed Indonesia’s capacity to implement economic policies, particularly amid the increasingly tense global geopolitical conditions at present. Subsequently, the IMF offered funding assistance to Indonesia amounting to an estimated US$20-US$30 billion. In response, Purbaya rejected the offer and affirmed that Indonesia’s state budget condition remains in the safe category. “The last one was that they (IMF) offered again, if we want to use it, we can. We were told to borrow from them. But I said, thank you for the offer. Our state budget condition is still good now,” Purbaya said during a press conference at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Tuesday, 21 April 2026. He explained that the IMF stated they have funding up to US$25 trillion, which can be provided to several countries. However, Purbaya said that the Indonesian government still has cash reserves of around US$25 billion. “And I said, I don’t need that yet. I still have US$25 billion, which we hold ourselves for our own country,” he stated. “They have US$25 trillion dollars for several countries. Well, we have US$25 billion for ourselves. So our financial condition is still safe,” said Purbaya. Thus, Purbaya emphasised to the IMF that Indonesia currently does not wish to depend on funding loans or debt from international institutions. “Because the most important thing is that our financial condition is still safe,” he said.