RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Vice Minister of Finance, Juda Agung, emphasized the importance of synergy between fiscal, monetary, and real sector policies to maintain the momentum of national economic growth. Speaking at the Policy Dialogue Kick Off of the Acceleration of Indonesian Intermediation Program (PINISI) 2026 in Jakarta on Monday, he likened fiscal policy to the “wind” and the banking sector to the “sail” that must work in harmony for Indonesia’s economy to reach its destination.

“Pinisi, in our imagination, is a ship. A ship sailing toward a destination,” he said.

Juda revealed that the performance of the State Budget (APBN) in the first quarter of 2026 showed significant growth in spending, reaching 31.4 percent year-on-year (yoy), up from 1.4 percent in the same period last year.

“Spending in the first quarter has reached 21.2 percent of the total APBN ceiling. We deliberately adjusted the spending pattern to be more evenly distributed throughout the year, no longer concentrated in the fourth quarter, so that economic growth can be felt sooner,” he said.

On the revenue side, he added, tax collection grew by 20.7 percent year-to-date (ytd), driven by a 57.7 percent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) and Luxury Goods Sales Tax (LST). According to him, this growth indicates that public consumption and business sector transactions remain strong.

Regarding the increase in crude oil prices, which had reached 100 US dollars per barrel, Juda stressed that the government would not raise subsidized fuel prices in order to maintain people’s purchasing power.

To anticipate rising subsidy burdens and ensure the deficit remains below the 3 percent threshold, the government has prepared several strategic measures, including refining priority programs.

He mentioned that one efficiency measure involves the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by eliminating meal provision on Saturdays and during school holidays, which is estimated to save up to Rp1 trillion per day. In addition, the government is optimizing the use of the core tax system and maximizing windfall revenues from commodities such as coal and crude palm oil (CPO).

Juda added that the government has mapped out eight clusters under the National Priority Work Program (PKPN), including food sovereignty, downstreaming of strategic industries such as semiconductors and national vehicles, and energy independence through B50 and B20 bioethanol programs. In its implementation, the Ministry of Finance promotes financing synergy between the State Budget (APBN), the Danantara investment management agency, and the private sector to strengthen the national economy.