Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Indonesia`s Gross Domestic Product will grow 6.3 percent in 2012.

"The prediction is 0.2 percent lower than the prediction for the 2011 GDP which is 6.4 percent," IMF Senior Resident Representative for Indonesia Milan Zavadjil said here on Monday.

He said the decline in the GDP prediction was connected with the current global economic crisis.

"Right now the global economy is in a dangerous phase and therefore the world economy is slowing down," he said.

Zavadjil further said IMF had also revised down its world economic growth projection to 4.0 percent for 2011 and 2012.

For the US, the IMF predicted a 1.5 percent growth in 2011 and 1.8 percent in 2012.

Although IMF had a pessimistic perception of the world economy Zavadjil said Indonesia`s economy right now was still good.

"Indonesia is relatively able to withstand the crisis although it does not mean it is immune," he said.

He said there were several factors that had made Indonesia`s economy able to withstand the crisis among others its low dependence on external demand such as exports.

"Indonesia`s export destinations vary making the country safe from the crisis suffered by certain countries," he said.

Other factors include strong domestic demand, large foreign exchange reserves, strong government economic balance sheet and a relatively sound banking system.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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