TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that the government appreciates the aspirations and inputs from student groups demanding immediate measures to strengthen the rupiah exchange rate.
However, he noted that Indonesia's current economic challenges are far from simple to resolve. "Certainly, it is influenced by many factors," he said at the DPR complex in Jakarta on Monday, June 8, 2026.
He maintained that the administration is making every effort to promptly stabilize the weakening currency. Prasetyo remains optimistic that the government’s strategic steps can effectively address these national economic pressures.
"Through close and intense coordination, and mutually reinforcing policies, we are also providing certainty to business actors today," the Gerindra Party politician added.
The ultimatum was delivered by the Central Java chapter of the All-Indonesia Student Executive Boards Alliance (BEM SI). Several student groups have given the administration an 18-day deadline to shore up the value of the rupiah.
In response, Prasetyo argued that complex economic issues cannot simply be resolved within an arbitrary timeframe. Nevertheless, he views the demand as a reflection of the students' spirit to evaluate government performance.
"Their spirit, for all of us, is a reminder to work harder, particularly in the economic sector," Prasetyo remarked.
In a joint Instagram post uploaded by the @bem_si and @storyrakyat_ accounts on Sunday, June 7, 2026, the Central Java BEM SI alliance gave the government 18 days to stabilize the rupiah. This demand had previously been voiced during a rally in front of the Bank Indonesia representative office in Semarang on Friday, June 5, 2026. Should the deadline pass without results, BEM SI threatened to mobilize a mass demonstration dubbed "Reformasi Jilid 2" (Reform Volume 2).
"If the demand is not fulfilled, they threaten to hold a demonstration titled Reformasi Jilid 2," the collaborative post read.
According to a social media update, the BEM SI alliance had previously held a national consolidation meeting on June 4, 2026. The online discussion focused heavily on Indonesia's mounting economic anxieties, particularly the rupiah's slide toward the Rp18,000 mark against the US dollar, alongside fiscal swelling, rising unemployment, and the soaring cost of living.
Separately, the Chairperson of the University of Indonesia Student Executive Boards (BEM UI), Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan, stated that BEM UI is planning its own consolidation to address the economic and democratic track record of President Prabowo Subianto's administration. He explained that BEM UI would first host a focus group discussion (FGD) across the university campus before moving forward with a broader national consolidation.
"On Monday, we will hold an FGD to deliberate on national issues, followed by a national consolidation on Wednesday," Yatalathof said.
For now, it remains uncertain whether BEM UI will take to the streets to protest the country's current trajectory amid the plummeting rupiah.
Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to this article
Read: Rupiah Weakens to 18,129 per US Dollar, JCI Drops 4%
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