Purbaya Urges 'We Love the Rupiah!'
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Indonesian Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, has emphasised the importance of using the Rupiah for transactions within Indonesia. This call was made during an inspection of the Integrated Physical Examination Facility (TPFT) Graha Segara at the Tanjung Priok Type A Customs and Excise Office in North Jakarta on Saturday (6/6/2026), in response to queries regarding complaints from business actors who still encounter transactions conducted in US Dollars.
Purbaya asserted that all transactions in Indonesia should utilise the Rupiah in accordance with applicable regulations. “According to the regulations, it should be the Rupiah. This is Indonesia. The transaction tool is the Rupiah,” said Purbaya.
He stated that he would follow up on any findings of practices involving billing in foreign currencies for transactions that should be conducted domestically. “If there are Dollars, report them to me, and I will deal with them,” he remarked, prompting laughter from journalists.
These statements follow complaints from several business actors who claim to still encounter certain fees or invoices denominated in Dollars. Purbaya emphasised that using the Dollar for domestic transactions is inconsistent with current regulations, even adding a joke to reinforce his support for the national currency: “Please don’t. We all love the Rupiah.”
Nevertheless, he noted the need to further investigate the source of these complaints, as he believes transactions within the port environment are fundamentally conducted in Rupiah. “In our area, there are no Dollars, are there?” he asked a high-ranking Customs official.
“No, Sir. Except for shipping lines (from abroad) because CAC uses Dollars but they are converted to Rupiah. Within our operations, there are no Dollars; if there were, it would be possible, but it is unlikely,” the official replied.
“Don’t do it, otherwise the Rupiah will weaken. We all love the Rupiah,” the Finance Minister responded.
Purbaya also urged business actors not to hesitate in reporting any practices that do not comply with the rules, stating that the government intends to ensure the use of the Rupiah in domestic transactions proceeds as intended.