Rupiah Falls, Prabowo Remains Calm: Rural Residents Don't Use Dollars

Sat, 16 May 2026, 14:04 WIB | By Andhika | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Economy

High volatility is likely to continue until the end of May.

President Prabowo Subianto responded calmly to the weakening of the Rupiah against the US dollar. According to him, currency fluctuations do not have a direct impact on the lives of rural communities who are more focused on basic daily needs. The statement was made by Prabowo when attending the inauguration of the Marsinah Museum in Nganjuk, East Java, on Saturday (16/5).

Prabowo mentioned that there are parties who continue to voice concerns about Indonesia’s economic condition due to the weakening Rupiah.

“Every now and then, Indonesia will collapse, will be in chaos, what else,” said Prabowo.

The President asked the public not to be too worried about the Rupiah’s movement against the US dollar, which is often the focus of the market. According to him, people in villages do not use dollars in their daily activities, so the national economy is still considered safe, especially from the perspective of food and energy.

“The Rupiah is like this, the dollar is like that, what? The people in the village don’t use dollars. Food is secure, energy is secure. Many countries are panicking, but Indonesia is still okay,” he said.

Based on the latest trading, the Rupiah exchange rate was at around Rp17,592 per US dollar on Saturday (16/5), after the previous day it had been at the level of Rp17,614 per US dollar.

On the same occasion, Prabowo also highlighted the attitude of some elites and leaders who are considered not fully siding with the interests of the people, even though they often promote nationalist narratives. According to him, Indonesian people basically still have loyalty to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

“The people are still loyal, there is no choice,” said Prabowo.

However, he regretted that there are parties whose attitudes are considered to have changed after obtaining positions and power.

“Many leaders shout about NKRI, but once they have power, they do not side with their own nation, they do not side with the Indonesian people,” he said. (E-3)

The Rupiah exchange rate has weakened in recent times. Chairman of Commission XI of the DPR RI, Mukhamad Misbakhun, asked the government to strengthen mitigation efforts so that it does not become imported inflation.

The Rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar today, May 13, 2026, shows the latest movement in trading. Based on foreign exchange market data,

Chief Economist of Permata Bank, Josua Pardede, warned of the potential for a surge in the 2026 APBN deficit to Rp200 trillion due to the weakening Rupiah and oil prices.

BI said the weakening of the Rupiah to Rp17,500 per US dollar was triggered by the Middle East conflict, rising oil prices, and domestic seasonal factors. BI remains optimistic that stability will be maintained.

The JCI today closed down 0.68% to 6,858.9. The decline was triggered by the Rupiah exchange rate which had penetrated Rp17,500 per US dollar and the MSCI index sentiment.

The Ministry of Trade said that the strengthening of the US dollar was one of the main factors that triggered the decline in the export reference price (HPE) and the reference price (HR) for gold commodities.

The Rupiah exchange rate is predicted to weaken to the level of Rp17,430 per US dollar today due to the increasing global geopolitical tensions. See the analysis.

The Rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar opened lower in trading on Monday, May 11, 2026.

The Rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar opened lower by 4 points to the level of Rp17,386 on Monday morning. See the analysis of the Rupiah currency movement today.

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