TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said there were two things to be noted in the declining of rupiah exchange rate and rising of US dollar exchange rate. One of them is the inflation that comes from the imported goods.
“The first is imported inflation, a lot of imports were made last year up to the first quarter,” she said at Djakarta Theater, Tuesday, May 8.
Sri Mulyani also mentioned the growth of Indonesia imports until the first quarter of 2018 has reached 12 percent.
Sri Mulyani said, how the impact on inflation, is something that requires attention from the government and Bank Indonesia.
Read also: Rupiah at 14,000/US$; Sri Mulyani Plans Strengthening Efforts
The fluctuations in rupiah exchange rate will affect the subsidies, especially fuel oil (BBM) and electricity, she said.
She currently with Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ignasius Jonan and Minister of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Rini Soemarno is monitoring the balance sheet of PT PLN (Persero) and PT Pertamina (Persero).
"So later we can create a policy that on one side can maintain Pertamina's finance so that the SOEs can work to perform the state tasks, which provides fuel at an affordable price,” she said.
Later, she hopes that the policy can make the state budget stay healthy and minimize the fiscal pressure from abroad.
Sri Mulyani also said the government along with Bank Indonesia will continue to monitor the economy, especially from other country policy factors that could affect the rupiah exchange rate related to the latest exchange rate.
DEWI NURITA
