Purbaya: I Have Never Been Reckless with State Finances

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has stressed that his ministry has never been careless in managing state finances, in order to keep the Indonesian economy strong. Purbaya explained that the Indonesian economy grew by 5.61% in the first quarter of 2026, before being slightly disrupted in the second quarter of 2026 due to the placement of the State Budget Surplus (SAL) into Himbara banks. However, he denied that this was done on his own accord. “In the second quarter of 2026, it was slightly disrupted because you, sir (the head of House Commission XI), said I took the money suddenly. I did not just take the money; I wanted to add as much as possible, but I am not the central bank. When Bank Indonesia signalled to me not to interfere in monetary policy, I complied. So I was never reckless in that matter, especially since it concerns the fate of the nation,” Purbaya said during a working meeting with House Commission XI on Wednesday (15/7/2026). Purbaya stressed that if the SAL placement had been carried out carelessly, it could have impacted the economy, potentially causing a shock. “I fully understand that if I took it, the economy would collapse. But we do not want to interfere with the authority of other institutions. At that time, they said they would replace it, so I withdrew it. It turned out it was not that simple, so I injected it back,” he explained. The reason for his actions, Purbaya said, was to synchronise policies with other institutions, including the House of Representatives. “So I was not playing around or moving back and forth without calculation. It was to synchronise policies with other institutions, including the House. So going forward, we will be more careful in managing the SAL,” he clarified. Purbaya explained that the placement of state funds was carried out with various tenors: Rp 200 trillion until the end of 2026, Rp 100 trillion for the next three months, and Rp 100 trillion in funds that can flow in and out to ensure sufficient money in the system.