Bappenas: Maintain Purchasing Power to Allow Growth
27 April 2015 14:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Amidst the slowing economy, the government must maintain the people's power purchase, especially the lower income group, to keep the economy moving. Power purchase and public consumption can be measured by inflation rate.
"With stable inflation and maintained purchasing power, we can achieve poverty reduction target," Rahma Irysnati, the National Planning and Development Ministry's deputy for poverty, workforce and SMEs told Tempo last week.
Rahma said the government must provide social assistances that are given on time and to the right people to maintain public consumption.
The Family Welfare Card (KKK), for instance, must be given not just to the poor, but to people that are prone to poverty. "There are about 15.5 million aid recipients, she said.
In addition, she said, the government must follow-up on affirmed programs listed in the 2015 Amended State Budget; establish connectivity to countryside areas, which is important to create wider economic access.
Bank Indonesia (BI) seeks to keep inflation under control in the range of four +/-1 percent. In the last board of governors' meeting, the central bank saw inflationary pressures have continued to decline.
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