"Components are (expected) to contribute to economic growth in 2022, so consumption growth of 5.1 percent to 5.3 percent would occur
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati highlighted the government's focus to strive to drive household consumption to lie in the 5.1-5.3 percent range in 2022.

"Components are (expected) to contribute to economic growth in 2022, so consumption growth of 5.1 percent to 5.3 percent would occur," the minister noted at a working meeting with Commission XI of the House of Representatives here on Wednesday.

However, Indrawati noted that to achieve the household consumption growth target, the government would need to put in mammoth efforts that still depend on the development of COVID-19 cases.

"This is something that is very difficult to achieve since we know the level of consumption depends on the development of COVID-19 cases. If COVID-19 cases can be controlled and vaccinations run well, then we can be certain that demand and consumption could recover," the minister affirmed.

If COVID-19 cases are well-controlled and vaccinations are conducted according to plan, then community activities will return to normal, and demand and consumption can increase.

However, if COVID-19 cases continue to increase, while the vaccination program does not run smoothly, then the consumption target will not be achieved and could also potentially decrease.

"If it is not (controlled), then this (forecast) will soon or will easily slip down," she cautioned.

The minister urged that COVID-19 cases, which began increasing after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, could be immediately suppressed and controlled, as it would affect consumption and future economic growth.

"The trend in the second quarter of 2021, which ends in June, must be controlled immediately, so as not to trigger conditions akin to what occurred in March, wherein we have to make increasing efforts. This will affect economic activities and projections that we have made so far," she remarked.

In the meantime, Indrawati also expounded that the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia had reached 300 thousand per day, still higher than the figure during last month's Ramadan, albeit not yet reaching the daily targeted 500 thousand to one million.

The COVID-19 vaccination target of one million per day is set to achieve herd immunity in the first quarter of 2022.

"If this is not achieved, then we will feel the impact in 2022, as the development of COVID-19 cases remains a decisive element," the minister stated.
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