April 23, 2026 | 01:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa mulled imposing taxes for vessels passing through the Malacca Strait—a strategic trading route shared between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore—similar to that implemented in the Hormuz waterway by Iran.
Purbaya made the statement while speaking at the PT SMI Symposium in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
"Iran is charging vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. If we divide it into three between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, we would be profitable since our route [in the Malacca Strait] is the largest, the longest," he said.
Imposing this measure will benefit Indonesia greatly, he said, but mused that "it's not the reality."
Purbaya said Indonesia must not act defensive but take a measured offensive stance instead.
On that occasion, Purbaya also stated that the current global condition remains unstable, with escalating geopolitical conflicts and fragmented supply chains. The global rate remains "higher for longer," with many countries experiencing economic slowdown.
Nevertheless, he ensured that Indonesia is still capable of achieving economic growth above 5 percent. In the fourth quarter of last year, the Indonesian economy grew by 5.39 percent.
He also explained that inflation is still under control and the state budget deficit is still kept below 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This means, according to him, that the fundamentals of the Indonesian economy are still strong because with a deficit below 3 percent, Indonesia can still grow above 3 percent.
As of March, the state budget has experienced a deficit of Rp240.1 trillion or 0.93 percent of GDP. State revenue reached Rp574.9 trillion and state expenditure reached Rp815 trillion.
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