Purbaya Drops Hints on 'Very Strong' El Niño Stimulus Package

The government of President Prabowo Subianto is preparing a stimulus package to deal with the El Niño weather phenomenon, which could cause drought. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has stated that the El Niño phenomenon in Indonesia has now entered the strong category and could potentially increase to ‘very strong’ in August-September 2026. This was revealed by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa during a media briefing at the Ministry of Finance’s media room in Jakarta on Wednesday (5/8/2026). ‘The amount for the El Niño stimulus is still being discussed, so the figure has not been finalised,’ he said. Purbaya stressed that President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the creation of a programme to protect against the impacts of El Niño. The Finance Minister is currently waiting for the relevant ministries and agencies to discuss the El Niño stimulus programme. ‘The President has already ordered the preparation of that programme, I am waiting for the relevant ministries,’ he said. Purbaya could not yet confirm when the stimulus will be released, but said it would be soon once the discussions are completed. ‘Once the discussion is finished, it will be implemented immediately. We are waiting for the relevant ministries to invite us regarding that stimulus policy issue,’ he added.