INDOPOSCO.ID – Presidential Chief of Staff Gen. (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman stopped short of clearly elaborating on President Prabowo Subianto’s statement that rural communities do not use U.S. dollars, made amid the sharp decline of the rupiah exchange rate.
“Well, that’s simply what he said. What it means is that people in rural communities use rupiah in their daily lives, not dollars,” Dudung said after attending the launch of the National Safe Migrant Movement in Jakarta on Monday (May 18, 2026).
He acknowledged that prices of several essential commodities had risen as a result of the rupiah’s weakening against the U.S. dollar. However, he argued that Indonesia’s economic fundamentals remain solid due to the country’s abundant natural resources.
“Yes, there are indeed factors affecting price increases in several sectors. But many people still benefit from Indonesia’s abundant natural resources, especially in food production, agriculture, and plantations,” Dudung stated.
According to him, the President’s remark about villagers not using dollars refers to the fact that rural residents rely heavily on self-sustaining food security for their daily needs, making exchange rate fluctuations less relevant to them.
“And in fact, villagers can utilize their own food resilience to support their daily lives. So they are not overly concerned with or familiar with the rise of the dollar,” said the former Jakarta Military Commander.
He added that the sale of agricultural products to major marketplaces and wholesale markets has continued to generate profits for local communities, which he said reflects the broader meaning behind Prabowo’s statement.
“In fact, the agricultural products they sell to various commercial centers, such as wholesale markets and others, are beneficial for the people. That is one way to understand the statement,” Dudung added.
The rupiah continued to weaken sharply against the U.S. dollar, reaching an all-time low of around Rp17,662 to Rp17,671 per U.S. dollar during Monday’s trading session.
Separately, President Prabowo expressed confidence that Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa would be able to address the significant depreciation of the rupiah.
“As long as Purbaya can still smile, just stay calm. There’s no need to worry,” Prabowo said while inaugurating the operation of 1,061 Red-and-White Village Cooperatives in Nganjuk earlier in the day.
He argued that fluctuations in the U.S. dollar exchange rate do not directly affect the daily lives of people living in rural areas.
“No matter how high the dollar goes, people in the villages don’t use dollars anyway,” Prabowo remarked. (dan)
