Purbaya's Story When Asked by Prabowo: Is the State Budget Safe If Oil Prices Reach US$100?

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa recounted the moment he was questioned by President Prabowo Subianto when global oil prices sharply increased, approaching US$100 per barrel.

At that time, Purbaya said he was invited to a meeting at the President’s residence on Jalan Kertanegara, Jakarta. All parties were concerned that the rise in global oil prices due to the war in the Middle East would disrupt the budget.

The President then asked Purbaya: “How is the APBN?” Purbaya replied: “It’s safe, Sir!”

The President asked again: “What if US$100 per barrel?”

Purbaya replied: “It’s safe, Sir, we’ve calculated it up to US$100, everything is safe.”

According to Purbaya, the Ministry of Finance, under his leadership, has undertaken numerous efforts to secure the APBN from the pressure of those oil prices. Unfortunately, his team’s efforts have not been well conveyed to the public.

Going forward, communication regarding the resilience and stability of the APBN will be the task of the newly appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance, Robert Marbun. Robert was inaugurated today, Friday (27/3/2026), replacing Heru Pambudi.

“Even in this situation, we never panic, outside we never panic, although the meetings are panicky too,” he said jokingly.

However, Purbaya emphasised that there are no strange figures or uncalculable amounts in the current APBN.