TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto summoned the Chair of the National Economic Council (DEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and several DEN members, including Muhammad Chatib Basri, Septian Hario Seto, and Mochammad Firman Hidayat.
In this meeting, Prabowo discussed several matters with the DEN members. Here are the details:
Warn about the Impact of a Weakening Rupiah Exchange Rate
During the meeting, Chatib Basri stated that the DEN had provided the Head of State with a special report on the macroeconomic situation. DEN also conveyed the risk of the Rupiah depreciation against the US dollar, which as of Monday, June 8, 2026, reached Rp18,201 per dollar. The weakening of the exchange rate will directly impact the lower middle class.
"We conveyed that one of the important issues to be considered is the possibility of price increases due to Rupiah weakening," Chatib said after the meeting with President Prabowo.
Suggest Budget Cuts for MBG Projects
In addition to warning about the weakening of the Rupiah exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, Chatib said DEN suggested that the government cut funding for projects involving substantial funds, including the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
According to him, budget cuts for projects involving substantial funds can be done to rebuild public trust in the government. "What needs to be done, including building confidence and trust in the government. One of them is the steps taken in budget efficiency, one of which is related to MBG," said the former Minister of Finance in the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono era.
Evaluate MBG Governance to Optimize Govtech
In a similar context, DEN Chair Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the institution discussed evaluating the governance of MBG projects, as well as the government's digitalization of public services, also known as govtech.
In the context of govtech optimization, he mentioned that, as of June 1, DEN reported that nearly 80 percent of govtech had been connected in eight ministries and agencies. This govtech data is combined with artificial intelligence (AI).
"In the upcoming Prabowo administration, govtech will be an important part because all data will be well aggregated," said the former Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment.
As for the context of MBG, DEN member Septian Hario Seto stated that DEN had conducted an independent survey to delve into the supply chain of MBG implementation using random sampling methods. The results showed that 86.9 percent of the meal program outlets only had one small supplier. "On average, there are 3 SMEs engaged by the meal program outlets," said Septian.
No Discussion on Reshuffle
Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad admitted to receiving confirmation from the Presidential Palace environment regarding the purpose of summoning DEN, especially Chatib Basri, by President Prabowo. He stated that amid reshuffle issues, the President summoned DEN to provide input and strategies for boosting economic growth.
"(Was there a discussion of reshuffle?) The confirmation I received said there was no discussion in that direction," Dasco said at the Parliament Complex on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
In line with Dasco, Chatib Basri also affirmed that there was no discussion regarding the cabinet reshuffle during the meeting between the DEN and the Head of State.
Amidst the weakening of the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar, Chatib Basri's name was rumored to replace Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa as the state treasurer. "We discussed economic matters only," he said.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to the writing of this article
Read: Luhut: 'Stop Arguing About Prabowo's Free Meal Program'
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