Airlangga Hartarto Responds To The Red Report Card Of The State Budget And Taxes

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto responded to the significant decline in the state budget and tax deficit after the Ministry of Finance announced.

Until February 2025 the state budget deficit was up to IDR 31.2 trillion. Meanwhile, tax payments until February 2025 decreased by 30.19 percent to IDR 187.8 trillion compared to the same period last year of IDR 269.02 trillion.

When met by reporters at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, March 14, Airlangga was confident that the stimulus programs provided by the government in Ramadan and Eid this year could boost public consumption so that it affects economic growth.

Moreover, according to Airlangga, the calculation of the APBN and taxes has only been running for two months. Airlangga's government stimulus program includes discounts on spending in the retail and online sectors, discounted flight tickets, THR and BHR tickets, to discounted toll rates, is expected to be a driving force for economic growth.

According to Airlangga, the state budget deficit is still below the target of 3 percent and also the debt ratio is still below 40 percent. Airlangga compared it to Singapore which reached 170 percent, as well as Japan which was relatively high.