Prabowo Adds BLT, Purbaya Believes Economic Growth In The Fourth Quarter Of 2025 Will Be 5.7 Percent

Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadive said the addition of direct cash assistance (BLT) recipients to 35 million families for the fourth quarter of 2025 would encourage faster economic growth.

Purbaya said the policy of adding BLT would increase economic growth by the end of the year, from the original calculation of 5.5 percent to 5.7 percent.

"If it is announced like that, I am no longer 5.5 percent of economic growth. Our calculation is 5.67 percent, almost 5.7 percent," Purbaya told reporters at the PU Ministry office, Jakarta, Friday, October 17.

He explained that the additional budget of IDR 10.5 trillion would be used to extend the distribution period of BLT from the previous two months to three months. The source of the budget comes from the APBN.

"We are rich, really, you don't say I'm poor. I'm rich too. If it's only IDR 30 trillion, that's it," he joked.

According to Purbaya, this policy will be the main driver of economic growth through strengthening people's purchasing power. The impact is estimated to be significant, surpassing the initial projection.

"The important thing is directly to the community. So, it will strengthen purchasing power," he explained.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government would increase the number of BLT recipients for the fourth quarter of 2025 to 35 million families.

"Mr. President (Prabowo Subianto) asked to add this direct cash assistance which will be provided in October, November and December 2025, and will be received by 35,046,783 beneficiary families," he told the media crew, Friday, October 17.

This amount is greater than the previous BLT program, if it is assumed that one beneficiary family (KPM) consists of father, mother and two children, then the program is estimated to reach around 140 million people.

Airlangga explained that the data on beneficiaries includes community groups in deciles 1 to 4 based on social data from the National Economic Census.

The BLT program is also outside the regular assistance program that has been distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, such as the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (sembako), which reaches 20.88 million beneficiary families every month.