TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bank Indonesia recently released data of the declining economic growth of Jakarta in the second quarter. However, Bank Mandiri Head of Industry and Regional Research Dendi Ramdani said that it is better than the national economic growth.

He said Wednesday, August 9, that the decline was caused mostly by the long post-Ramadan mass leave taking place during the second quarter.

The travel ban for commercial vehicles during the Eid al-Fitr holidays that lasted for 14 days this year also support the decline of capital's economic growth, Dendi said.

“Next, we need to keep an eye on how to push the government’s expenditure and to prevent this from happening again next year,” he said.

According to Dendi, the export activity does rely on overseas demands but the attempt to elevate the competitiveness must not come to a halt because of this limitation. “I think the industry in the sectors of processing, construction, mass-trade, and automotive vehicle repair will grow even larger,” he said.

Previously Bank Indonesia reported that Jakarta’s declining economic growth was caused by the weakening of the export-import activity and the government spending. This caused Jakarta’s growth during the second quarter to drop to 5.96 percent (yoy) from 6.45 percent (yoy) in the previous quarter.

BISNIS