"I think we must admit that the Indonesian economy would grow more than 6.5 percent last year if the government spending could be optimized. We lost 0.1-0.2 percent of the remainder. This is one of things we have to improve," he said following a coordination meeting at his office here on Monday.
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said earlier in the day the Indonesian economy grew 6.5 percent last year, fueled by exports which grew 6.3 percent, household consumption 2.7 percent, government spending 0.3 percent, physical investment 2.1 percent, exports 6.3 percent and imports 4.8 percent.
"If the government spending could be optimized our economy might expand at a range of 6.6 to 6.,7 percent last year. I think both investment and exports had played an optimum role in the economic growth," Hatta said.
Earlier, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced foreign investment reached Rp175.3 trillion, domestic investment Rp76 trillion, bringing to Rp251.3 trillion the overall amount of investment in Indonesia last year.
Meanwhile, Indonesia`s exports last year were valued at US$203.62 billion.
He said investment, exports, public consumption and government spending remained the engine of the domestic economic growth last year.
National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana who is also chief of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) said to boost the economic growth the government must encourage more investment flows.
"If we want to see our economy growing more than 6.5 percent there must be a special strategy to boost investment. The investment inflows reached the highest record last year. If we want our economy to expand 6.7 percent, investment must grow 11 percent, exports 10 percent, and domestic consumption more than 5 percent. Therefore, there must be special focus on investment," she said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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