TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that President Joko Widodo wanted inflation rate condition to be maintained in the coming months. “That’s the point. We have to ensure the price of rice does not go up again because now is harvest time,” he said on Wednesday.
He estimated that inflation rate in the first semester would be relatively low. He is also optimistic that inflation rate in the second semester would be low. “Overall, inflation rate will be four percent,” he said.
Coordinating Economy Minister Sofyan Djalil said the government considered the current inflation rate condition was relatively good as the trend in the beginning of the year is that inflation rate is usually low. “We’ll save it for later. Inflation rate in the second semester is usually high as there are Lebaran, new year, school holidays and so forth,” he said.
According to Sofyan, inflation rate has a function as an indicator for economic condition “Inflation rate is needed as long as it’s not excessive. Our target is five plus minus one,” he said, adding that the government is optimistic that inflation rate target of four percent can be achieved.
