TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that the macroeconomic assumptions in the Revised 2016 State Budget (APBNP) would not be changed. Sri's statement was different from the previous report saying that there would be a change in the aspect of Rupiah's exchange against the US Dollar and the target of budget deficit against gross domestic product (GDP).
"The macro assumptions will not be changed, and the [budget] deficit will not change much," Sri Mulyani said after closing the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) conference on Thursday, August 4, 2016.
The government earlier set Rupiah's exchange rate at Rp 13,500 per US dollar, which was later to be revised to Rp 13,300 per US dollar. In addition, the budget deficit assumption was to be changed from 2.35 percent to 2.5 percent of GDP.
However, Sri Mulyani said that the Finance Ministry would continue to monitor the macroeconomic development related to the budget deficit.
Sri Mulyani predicted that the deficit would increase by around Rp 17 trillion (US$1.3 billion).
"However, we can still see it from the revenue or spending side," Sri added.
Earlier, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to set the target of the 2016 State Budget deficit at Rp 296.7 trillion (US$22.8 billion) or 2.35 percent of GNP.
"The law on the State Budget is clear, so we will do what we can," Sri Mulyani said.
GHOIDA RAHMAH
