TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A representative for the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) on Tuesday explained that the declining public satisfaction towards President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s performance by 6 percent was caused by the rising prices of staple goods. This refers to the survey conducted by pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia on May 15.

“The rising prices of staple goods are closely tied to the global uncertainties, such as the Covid-19, the Russian-Ukraine conflict, and a number of policies issued by developed countries, and the weather,” said KSP expert staff Edy Priyono in a statement on Tuesday, May 17.

Edy defended that global conflicts affect the prices of commodities and do not only affect Indonesia but also the global market. "If this condition continues, it could lead to an increase in inflation, a decrease in people's purchasing power and economic growth, and provide fiscal pressure," said Eddy.

He claimed that the government is currently trying to control the price increase. One of them, according to him, is by allocating the APBN to provide social support for the community, especially the underprivileged groups. "In addition, a reduction in the money supply in developed countries could also put pressure on financial markets through the weakening of the rupiah, and risk rising interest rates," he said.

He added that Indonesia's economy is able to continue a consistent trend of improvement. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in the first quarter of 2022 stated that the Indonesian economy grew strongly by 5.01 percent (year to year).

The economic growth, according to Edy, was supported by increased domestic demand, maintained export performance, and vigorous economic activity around Eid.

Read: Jokowi Claims Economy Rising as Covid-19 Number Drops

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M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH