JAKARTA, April 6 — Indonesia recorded a state budget deficit of 240.1 trillion rupiahs (RM56.79 billion), equivalent to 0.93 per cent of the country's gross domestic product, in the first quarter of 2026, as government spending outpaced state revenue.
Xinhua reported Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa as saying that government spending reached 815 trillion rupiahs (RM192.7 billion) by the end of March, while state revenue totalled 574.9 trillion rupiahs (RM135.9 billion).
Speaking at a hearing with the Parliament in Jakarta today, he added that the deficit reflected the structure of the state budget, which was designed to run a deficit.
"When there is a deficit, the public should not be surprised because our state budget is designed to be in deficit," Purbaya said.
The minister noted that the deficit is part of the government’s fiscal strategy, as state spending is distributed throughout the year to support economic activities and development programmes. Such a pattern is normal in managing the national budget.
