As COVID-19 cases decline, we expect the economy (growth) to return step by stepJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said he expects the increase in economic growth or gross domestic product (GDP) as well as the controlled inflation witnessed in the second quarter of 2021 to continue in the third quarter.
"As COVID-19 cases decline, we expect the economy (growth) to return step by step," Jokowi remarked at the virtual Workshop of 100 Economists, streamed on INDEF Youtube channel, here on Thursday.
"We witnessed the second-quarter growth at 7.07 percent (yoy), and inflation of 1.5 percent (yoy), and we hope (the growth) can proceed in the third quarter," the President remarked.
However, the President expected that the growth in the third quarter may not be higher than the second quarter as the government has to balance the policies in health and economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We still have to keep our strategies in order to be on a good balance," he emphasized.
The government is currently implementing three major economic and business strategies which are: end-to-end industrial approach, digitization of MSMEs, and green economic development, he added.
"In the future, I think our economic grand strategy or the nation's big business strategy will stand on three things which are the down-streaming of industry, digital transformation of MSMEs, and the start of green economy," Jokowi said.
The President said he also expects economists to contribute ideas to accelerate national economic recovery. "Their idea sharing is encouraged so that after the COVID-19 crisis is over, the Indonesian economy can immediately grow faster."
"With the skills of economists who are ready to give their great ideas that will tackle (the problem) and bring solutions, we are able to get through these difficult times, and must prepare to work fast after we get out of this crisis," he emphasized.
Earlier, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati had confirmed that Indonesia's economic growth in the second quarter of 2021 also showed the financial system’s normal stability.
The stability tracked the positive trend in the global economy: the United States and China experienced 12 percent and 7.9 percent year-on-year economic growth, respectively, she informed.
This improvement implies that the government’s economic recovery programs went well, she said.
It also proved the effectiveness of state spending realization, which stood at 9.38 percent year on year in the second half of 2021, she added.
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Translator: Indra P, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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