Indonesian Government Optimistic of Achieving 6.6% Growth Target in 2016

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government is optimistic that the economy will grow by 6.4 to 6.6 percent next year based on the discussion regarding its 2016 work plan, National Development Planning Minister Andrinof A. Chaniago stated.

"Without ignoring the principles of quality growth, the economy can grow 6.4 to 6.6 percent," the minister noted while reporting about the discussion regarding the governments 2016 work plan to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at a national development planning meeting held here on Wednesday.

Chaniago, who is also the chief of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), remarked that the economic growth target of 6.4 to 6.6 percent can be achieved by maintaining economic stability while concurrently controlling the inflation rate at 4.0 percent, he pointed out.

To achieve quality economic growth, the government will also maintain the economic growth to improve the welfare indicator, he said.

The welfare indicator can be achieved by lowering the poverty rate to nine percent from the current 10.9 percent and unemployment rate to 5.2 to 5.5 percent, he emphasized.

To improve the quality of fiscal room, the government has set the ratio of tax receipts to the national gross domestic product (GNP) at 13.3 percent, he pointed out.

He explained that the government will continue to adhere to the principles of quality development, which are inclusive of wide-ranging, cross-group, cross-region, and cross-time development.

By adopting the principles of quality development, the government is determined to accelerate infrastructure growth as the pillar of development by 2016, he stated.

The accelerated infrastructure development is aimed at supporting three development dimensions: human resources development, development of priority sectors, and inter-regional development, he added.(WDY)