It was difficult and could only reach a maximum growth of 4.8 percent."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The investment growth in a country can be an indicator of its progress, Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla stated.
The statement was delivered by the vice president while attending the launch of the campaign "Let Us Save Shares" at the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) here on Thursday.
"Investment can increase the added value, productivity, and employment and can determine whether a country is developed," Kalla noted here.
Through investment activities, the welfare of the people will improve that can be measured through economic growth.
As of now, the countrys economy is growing at 4.7 percent.
The vice president remarked that the rate of economic growth can be evaluated by the per capita income and the number of employed people.
"Through all measures, investment made by the government, businesses, and society can boost economic growth and create job opportunities," he affirmed.
The community can invest by buying stocks regularly.
"Investment needs capital. The banking system, stock exchange, and other financial activities are important to support investment activities," he explained.
After reviewing the growth until the third quarter of this year, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro had earlier forecast that Indonesias economic growth at the end of the year would only reach 4.8 percent.
"It was difficult and could only reach a maximum growth of 4.8 percent," the finance minister stated in Jakarta on Friday.
Bambang said the year-end economic growth forecast can be achieved if the growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 can or almost reach five percent.
"The economic growth should be close to five percent in the fourth quarter," he noted.
The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) had previously recorded Indonesias economic growth in the third quarter at 4.73 percent (year-on-year), or higher than 4.67 percent in the second quarter.
"This growth is better as compared to the first quarter when the economy grew at 4.72 percent, or the second quarter when it grew at 4.67 percent," Suhariyanto, the deputy for balance and statistical analysis of the BPS, remarked.
Thus, the accumulative growth until the third quarter of 2015 reached 4.71 percent or better than the accumulative growth of 4.69 percent recorded in the first semester.
Bank Indonesia (BI) had earlier stated that the nations economy will grow at a higher rate in the fourth quarter than in the previous quarters due to the increase in investment by the government.
"We hope that during the fourth quarter, investment in development projects, including private investment, will increase, thereby contributing to the national economy," BI Governor Agus Martowardojo affirmed at a press conference here on Wednesday.
He pointed out that the economic growth had started showing a positive trend. The central bank has forecast the economic growth to be higher in the fourth quarter than in the previous two quarters.
BI predicted that the economic growth will reach 4.85 percent in the fourth quarter.
"As I have observed, government investment and spending had started increasing in the third quarter. I hope the private sector will play a role during the fourth quarter as a great deal of government spending had yet to be realized. Of course, the private sector must be ready for it," he emphasized.
He further expressed hope that an improvement in the economy in the second semester of this year will add to the countrys momentum and result in positive growth in future.
He also welcomed the House of Representatives approving the 2016 state budget and hoped the government would soon carry out the tendering process, particularly in the infrastructure sector.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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