President Jokowi : Indonesia’s Economic Growth the Third Highest

Jakarta, 14 Shafar 1438/14 November 2016 (MINA) – President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has said that Indonesia’s economic growth today had been in the top three in the world.

“We belong to the third highest after China and India,” the president said in his speech before the participants of the National Leadership Meeting of the National Mandate Party (PAN) at Bidakara Hotel, Pancoran, South Jakarta, on Sunday.

He asked all national components to be grateful as in the midst of the global economic slowdown Indonesia is still experiencing a positive growth.

“Global economic growth according to the World Bank forecast to slow to 3.1 percent. It is a challenge that we must face it,” he said.

Jokowi said amid the slowdown of the world economy, Indonesian economy in the first quarter of 2016 reached 4.91 percent, in the second quarter amounted to 5.18 percent and the third quarter amounted to 5.02 percent.

The president said amid a slowdown in the world economy, Indonesia’s economic growth in the first quarter 2016 reached 4.91 percent, in the second quarter 2016 amounted to 5.18 percent and the third quarter of 2016 amounted to 5.02 percent.

According to Jokowi, a variety of other indicators also showed improvements such as poverty, unemployment and inequality figures.

“The poverty rate has decreased, unemployment also decreasing while other countries increasing,” he said.

Jokowi said the inflation rate in the last two years can be also under control as well.

“Last year, inflation rate reached 3.5 percent, this year is estimated at 3.0 percent. It means that the rise of prices of goods can be controlled,” he said.

He mentioned the high economic growth would be meaningless if inflation is too high.

“If economic growth of 5.0 percent, and inflation at 3.0 percent, there are still profit  of 2.0 percent, but if the economic growth of 5.0 percent, while the inflation at 8.0 percent, that means we come up short,” he said. (LP/R03/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)