Indonesia's Rupiah Hits Record Low Against Dollar, Raising Pressure on Central Bank

On April 30, Jin10 reported that economists Lim Yee Ping and Michelle Chia from CIMB International have highlighted the Indonesian rupiah's decline to a historic low against the U.S. dollar, increasing pressure on Indonesia's central bank to tighten its policy. According to Jin10, the central bank has attempted to bolster the rupiah by increasing the issuance of local currency securities and offering higher yields. However, these measures alone may not be sufficient to curb ongoing exchange rate volatility, suggesting a higher likelihood of further monetary policy tightening. This supports CIMB International's expectation of a 25 basis point rate hike in May. Additionally, the first-quarter GDP data, set to be released next Tuesday, is anticipated to show stable performance, potentially providing the central bank with room to reduce policy support.