Regarding Placement of Rp 400 T SAL Funds, Purbaya: Indonesian Economy Will Accelerate!

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has revealed that the placement of government excess budget funds (SAL) in banks belonging to the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) will have an impact on the government’s fiscal position. Purbaya is confident this placement will help reduce the State Budget (APBN) deficit of 2.85%. “There is a possibility we can lower it further, depending on the impact of the policy we just implemented yesterday, where we put Rp 400 trillion into the economy, and Bank Indonesia is also helping,” he explained to reporters at the DPR RI building on Tuesday (7/7/2026). He is even confident that disruptions to the Indonesian economy will disappear as this SAL fund placement policy takes effect, and he asserted that the Indonesian economy will run fast. “We should grow even faster, so the disruptions from late May to June will disappear, the economy will race forward,” said Purbaya. Regarding the tenor of the SAL fund placement in Himbara, Purbaya confirmed the tenors have been set and the policy has been carefully studied. He stated that Rp 200 trillion of the government funds has been placed until the end of 2026, while another Rp 100 trillion is placed for a three-month period. The remaining Rp 100 trillion is designated as flexible funds that can be withdrawn and deposited at any time according to government needs. “I have already given it,” Purbaya stressed. “So, Rp 200 trillion until the end of the year, Rp 100 trillion reviewed every three months, and Rp 100 trillion is flexible,” he continued. According to Purbaya, the SAL retains its strategic function as a buffer for the State Budget, allowing the government to withdraw it at any time if necessary. He is confident that if the government withdraws funds, Bank Indonesia will subsequently inject liquidity into the banking system, so Himbara banks need not worry. “Because we will also anticipate if we need funds, but later, Bank Indonesia will also fill in. If we withdraw funds, BI will fill in, so gradually the money supply in the system will be more stable than before,” he said. When asked about the distribution of funds among the individual Himbara banks, Purbaya only stressed that the allocation was proportional. Deputy Chairman of Commission XI DPR RI, Fauzi Amro, had previously asked the government to consider extending the tenor of SAL placements in state-owned banks or Himbara. He argued that the policy could provide greater room for banks to optimise financing distribution to productive sectors, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while maintaining banking liquidity stability. Fauzi revealed that the state-owned banks were not asking for additional funds, but rather proposing that the placement period be extended so the funds could be utilised more optimally as working capital. “We also recommend that the tenor be longer. If it’s on call, it could be taken back in a month. What can people do with that?” said Fauzi. The legislator from the NasDem Party faction explained that, based on Himbara’s submission, a short-term placement tenor makes it difficult for banks to manage financing. He clarified that the funds received need to be channelled to productive sectors before being returned to the government according to the set placement period. According to Fauzi, banks are proposing that the SAL placement tenor be extended to around three to six months, or even up to one year. With such a scheme, banks would have adequate time to channel financing to businesses and MSMEs, allowing the benefits of government funds to be felt more widely by the public. “What they are asking for is three to six months. So that the working capital provided to Himbara can be utilised for MSMEs or companies, because that takes time,” explained the legislator from the South Sumatra I electoral district. He stressed that the proposal is not intended to increase the amount of SAL funds placed in Himbara. The banks’ request is solely related to adjusting the placement period to make fund management more effective. “What they are asking for is an extension of the tenor, not an addition. If it’s an addition, that is certainly the government’s authority based on the existing fiscal conditions,” he asserted. He explained that the placement of SAL funds in Himbara is fundamentally part of the government’s effort to maintain liquidity in the banking sector. Furthermore, these funds are expected to strengthen the banking intermediation function by increasing credit distribution to productive sectors that can drive national economic growth.