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View all search resultsThe rupiah slid to a new record low of Rp 18,000 per United States dollar on Thursday, extending its losses this year to more than 7 percent and making it Asia’s worst-performing currency as rising oil prices and deteriorating trade dynamics rattled investors.
Bank Indonesia’s decision to raise its benchmark BI Rate by 50 basis points to 5.25 percent marks a clear shift from supporting growth to defending macroeconomic stability as the rupiah comes under pressure. But the move also exposes a deeper dilemma: The central bank must stabilize the currency while sustaining growth, even as expansive fiscal intervention weakens monetary policy effectiveness and raises questions over its independence.
The rupiah was the worst-performing currency in the region, depreciating 0.61 percent by market close, followed by the Philippine peso and the Thai baht, which weakened by 0.6 percent and 0.55 percent, respectively.
The central bank has decided to keep the BI-Rate unchanged at 4.75 percent to prevent the rupiah from spiraling ever downward amid the nearly two-month war in Iran as the currency hit a record low of Rp 17,193 per greenback on Wednesday, while experts pointed to a narrowing room for monetary policy in its aim to secure financial stability.
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