Q1 Economic Growth at -0.74 Percent; Presidential Staff Remains Optimistic
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5 May 2021 21:06 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The President’s special staffer on economics, Arif Budimanta, on Wednesday said Indonesia’s economic growth shows constant signs of improvement despite logging -0.74 percent in the first quarter.
Compared to the second up to the fourth quarter last year, the 2021 first quarter growth is moving to the positive zone.
In his written statement on May 5, Arif Budimanta said the economy is projected to improve to the positive zone for the second, third, and fourth quarter and accumulate a positive growth compared to 2020.
Indonesia's economy suffered since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in March last year, which eventually caused a recession. But Arif is optimistic that it will able to survive.
“There is a slight difference with only -0.74 percent annually compared to the period prior to the pandemic. This shows that our economy is able to survive,” he wrote.
He also stated that President Jokowi is optimistic that the national economy will start to grow during the second quarter of 2021 and noted that the pandemic mitigation will greatly influence the outcome.
FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA
