JAKARTA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia recorded a state budget deficit of 240.1 trillion rupiahs (14.09 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent to 0.93 percent of the country's GDP, in the first quarter of 2026, as government spending outpaced state revenue, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Monday.
Speaking at a hearing with the parliament in Jakarta, Purbaya said government spending reached 815 trillion rupiahs (47.84 billion dollars) by the end of March, while state revenue totaled 574.9 trillion rupiahs (33.74 billion dollars).
The deficit reflected the structure of the state budget, which was designed to indeed run a deficit, Purbaya said. "When there is a deficit, the public should not be surprised because our state budget is designed to be in deficit."
Purbaya said that the deficit was part of the government's fiscal strategy, as state spending was distributed throughout the year to support economic activities and development programs. He added that such a pattern was normal in managing the national budget. ■