Finance Minister Purbaya Says Indonesia Enters 'Survival Mode': No More Room for Complacency!

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that Indonesia is currently in survival mode amid global pressures. In this mode, he said, the government must optimise all available resources and opportunities to maintain economic growth, with no room for ineffective policies. “That means we can’t mess around anymore. That means we no longer have the luxury to play around with all the opportunities we can create,” Purbaya said, quoted from ANTARA on Saturday, 25 April 2026. Fiscal policies and economic programmes must be implemented seriously and measurably to avoid risks to the national economy. Within this framework, Purbaya assured that all instruments under the Ministry of Finance’s authority will be maximised to ensure programmes run effectively and are well-monitored. As is known, President Prabowo Subianto previously issued Presidential Decree Number 4 of 2026 on the Task Force for Accelerating Government Programmes to Support Economic Growth Enhancement. Through this regulation, the government formed a task force tasked with overseeing the acceleration of programmes, including addressing bottlenecks in policy implementation. “That’s all overseen by one task force, which will also include debottlenecking efforts like that. That’s survival mode,” Purbaya explained. He also stressed the importance of closing gaps in economic inefficiencies, including state revenue leakages. Optimisation will be carried out in the customs and taxation sectors. “We can’t let inefficiency spaces occur in our economy anymore, especially if it’s intentional,” he clarified. Although acknowledging the progress made by the Directorate General of Taxation (DJP) and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC), the Finance Minister assessed that there is still room for improvement, particularly in closing potential state revenue leakages. “Although they’ve advanced, customs and tax. But we still see leakages here and there that can be closed. That’s what survival mode means,” he concluded.