TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani expects Indonesia’s upcoming political year will not negatively affect the country’s economy. Indonesia is set to hold the simultaneous regional elections in 2018 and the presidential election in 2019.

Next year, according to Sri Mulyani, Indonesia will hold 171 regional elections, “Those regions are considered to be the engine for the country’s economy. Especially in regions such as West Java, East Java, Central Java, and Bali,” said the minister.

Sri Mulyani urged business advocates to face the challenge ahead in a positive way. She reasons that Indonesia has been through rigorous political cycles and still ended them on a positive note.

The minister compared Indonesia’s situation to the political cycles of other international countries that she deemed, “Always ugly and nasty.” What differs Indonesia to other countries according to her is that this country can reunite as soon as the cycle ends, and together run the program offered by winning candidates.

INDEF Senior economist Didik J Rachbini said that a country’s political turmoil, naturally, should not hamper its business world. He reflected his theory on Japan, a country that continues to be economically stable despite changing prime ministers eight times.

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