The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) has voiced strong concerns, asserting that the recent postponement of the ‘Our State Budget: Performance and Facts’ (APBN Kita) press conference signals a worrying reduction in public access to crucial budgetary information. For Celios, consistent and transparent disclosures regarding the nation’s revenue performance, expenditure, and government debt financing are paramount to fostering and maintaining public trust.
Celios Economic Director Nailul Huda explicitly stated that this postponement suggests the government is deliberately obscuring the true state of the national budget from the public. “This decision to delay,” Huda remarked in a written statement on Friday, May 1, 2026, “further plunges the Indonesian economy into uncertainty by restricting vital information.”
Echoing these sentiments, Celios Executive Director Bhima Yudhistira highlighted the risk that delaying the APBN Kita press conference will inevitably lead investors to speculate about the nation’s fiscal performance. Such a scenario, he warned, would severely undermine market confidence in the government’s fiscal policy management. Yudhistira urged the government to embrace complete transparency, regardless of the prevailing circumstances.
Celios further cautioned that without regular governmental explanations of the state budget’s condition, the scope for public oversight dwindles significantly. “This situation is particularly perilous,” stated Celios Public Policy Director Media Wahyudi Askar, “especially given the current pressures: a weakening rupiah exchange rate, the reportedly chaotic allocation of funds for strategic projects like Free Nutritious Meals and Red and White Village Cooperatives, and heightened global uncertainty stemming from the conflict in Iran.”
The Ministry of Finance had initially scheduled the APBN Kita press conference for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, only to cancel it. Subsequently, the Ministry proceeded to publish the APBN Kita materials on its official website on Thursday, April 30, 2026. However, this online publication was swiftly retracted as the Ministry confirmed its intention to proceed with a physical press conference. A statement from the Communication, Services and Information Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Finance, released on Thursday evening, April 30, 2026, read: “We sincerely apologize for temporarily taking down the Press Release and APBN Kita March 2026 period slides, as the APBN Kita Press Conference is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.”
Adding to the series of postponements, the Ministry of Finance had also announced the delay of the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) press conference, originally planned for April 30, 2026. While the Ministry offered an apology, it refrained from providing any explanation for the postponement or a new date for the KSSK briefing.
Attempts by Tempo to obtain confirmation regarding these shifting decisions from Deni Surjantoro, Head of the Communication and Information Services Bureau, went unanswered by the time this article was published.
Ilona Estherina contributed to this report.
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Summary
The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) has criticized the Ministry of Finance for postponing the “APBN Kita” press conference, arguing that such delays restrict public access to critical fiscal data. Experts from the organization warned that withholding timely information regarding revenue, expenditures, and debt undermines public trust and creates economic uncertainty. They emphasized that transparency is essential, especially amid current pressures like the weakening rupiah and concerns over strategic budget allocations.
The Ministry of Finance initially published and then retracted digital budget materials, rescheduling the formal press briefing to May 6, 2026. Additionally, the government postponed the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) meeting without providing a new date or specific reasons for the change. Celios maintains that these shifts in communication hinder necessary public oversight and may negatively impact investor confidence in the nation’s fiscal management.