Tax & Spend

Rupiah Slumps on Scaled-Back Tax Hike Even as Finance Chief Downplays Deficit

  • President Prabowo pared planned VAT Hike on New Year’s Eve
  • Move raises questions on how Prabowo will fund his programs

The rupiah was by far the biggest loser on Thursday among the most-actively traded Asian currencies.

Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg
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Bank Indonesia intervened to stabilize the rupiah after President Prabowo Subianto’s surprise decision to scale back a tax hike sent the currency weakening by nearly 1%.

The central bank was in the marketBloomberg Terminal on Thursday to maintain the balance of foreign exchange supply and demand, according to director for monetary and asset securities management Edi Susianto.