TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) reported that the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves in March 2026 amounted to US$148.2 billion, equivalent to Rp2,521.6 trillion at an exchange rate of Rp17,020 per US dollar.
This represents a decline of US$3.7 billion compared to February 2026, when reserves stood at US$151.9 billion, or Rp2,584.5 trillion.
“This development is influenced by global government bond issuance and tax and service revenues, alongside the government’s foreign debt payments and our policy to stabilize the rupiah,” said Ramdan Denny Prakoso, Executive Director of BI’s Communication Department, in an official statement on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
He added that the stabilization measures are part of BI’s response to rising uncertainty in the global financial market.
Denny explained that the foreign exchange reserves at the end of March 2026 were sufficient to cover six months of imports, or 5.8 months when including government foreign debt payments. He emphasized that this level comfortably exceeds the international adequacy standard of roughly three months of imports.
“Bank Indonesia considers that the foreign exchange reserves are able to support the resilience of the external sector and maintain macroeconomic and financial system stability,” Denny said. He also noted that the external sector’s resilience remains strong, supported by ample foreign exchange reserves and steady inflows of foreign capital.
In currency trading on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the rupiah closed lower at Rp17,105 per US dollar. Ibrahim Assuaibi, Director of PT Traze Andalan Futures, projected that the rupiah would trade within the range of Rp17,100 to Rp17,150 per US dollar on Wednesday.
According to Ibrahim, the US dollar’s strength is partly driven by investor concerns over a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East, ahead of the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Disruptions to tanker traffic in recent weeks have tightened supply expectations and increased risk premiums across the oil market,” he said in a statement on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Read: Rupiah Hits Record Low, Bank Indonesia Says Will ‘Maintain Stability’
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