Prabowo Claims Villagers Do Not Use Dollars; Purbaya: It Does Not Mean He Does Not Understand the Rupiah

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has emphasised that President Prabowo Subianto understands the current economic situation, including the weakening of the rupiah exchange rate. According to Purbaya, Prabowo’s remarks to the public during a working visit to East Java—stating that villagers do not use dollars—were intended merely to provide reassurance.

“Let me explain the context first. He was speaking in rural areas; that was the context for the people there. It does not mean the President does not understand the rupiah; he is highly skilled, truly. That was the context,” Purbaya stated at the Palace Complex in Jakarta on Monday (18/05/2026).

“It was just to entertain the people there. Looking at the context of the rural visit yesterday, it was fine to speak that way,” he added.

According to Purbaya, few villagers would grasp technical economic terms or the complexities of rising dollar exchange rates. “Do they understand imported inflation? How many would understand if explained theoretically? It is not that significant,” he remarked.

During the visit, Prabowo noted that people in rural areas do not frequently use the US dollar. “I am sure there are those who constantly claim, I don’t know what, that Indonesia will collapse, will be in chaos, and so on. The rupiah is like this, the dollar is like that, but the people in the villages do not use dollars,” he said, as quoted from a KompasTV YouTube channel.

He further added that amidst global dynamics causing panic in other nations, Indonesia remains observed to be stable and secure. “Food is secure, energy is secure. Many countries are panicking, but Indonesia is still okay,” Prabowo concluded.