TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Chairman of the Association of National Commercial Banks (Perbanas) Sigit Pramono said that the rupiah exchange rate will be safe if the economic growth rate in Indonesia is high.

"We must have a strong commitment to the next 10-20 years the economic growth we need to double digits every year so that our foreign exchange reserves are also high," he told Tempo, Monday, October 12.

Sigit said the rupiah currency falls into the soft currencies class, while currencies like the dollar and the yuan are hard currencies. The risk bore by soft currencies is that they are dependent on the ups and downs of the hard currencies.

According to Sigit, Bank Indonesia's move to intervene to keep the supply of dollars only provides temporary results. “To strengthen the rupiah you should strengthen economic growth as well,” he said.

Indonesia's economic growth is still at the level of 4.7 percent. He said, there is need for a continuous process so that the economic growth rate can reach double digits, at least boosted up to 7 to 8 percent.

Sigit said that this is not impossible, given Indonesia is projected in the top 10 countries with the largest economies in 2020. While in the year 2045, or 100 years after the independence of Indonesia is predicted to penetrate the ranks of the top 6.

GHOIDA RAHMAH