"The package provides an opportunity to consolidate the nation's economy in the next few months before 2016 when the Fed rate is expected to be raised," University of Indonesia (UI) economist Rizal E. Halim affirmed here on Friday.
According to Halim, the rupiah's recent appreciation against the US dollar should be maintained amid the global economic slowdown and uncertainty. Strengthening the real sector is the only way to prevent speculations in the money and capital markets.
"That is what we need now. We also need to take into account other risks and quick responses to short-term policies as contained in the third package," he pointed out.
"The government should continue to encourage economic policies in the real sector, particularly those affecting the household purchasing power," he said.
The policies include encouraging expansion projects to create more jobs, avoiding massive layoffs, boosting small and medium enterprises, strengthening the purchasing power of the people particularly those belonging to the low-income group through a cash transfer package or other package to stimulate the purchasing power, he explained.
He believed that the third economic policy package may strengthen household consumption, which has so far served as one of the engines of the nation's economic growth.
"Of course, we hope that the public can continue to meet all their needs and immediately emerge from numerous pressures, including price hikes and declining incomes, among others," he stated.
To boost the real sector, the government has included new fuel oil prices in the third economic policy package announced on Wednesday.
The new fuel prices, some of which took effect on October 1, 2015, are expected to have a positive impact on the economic sector, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said noted while announcing the package in the energy sector at the Presidential Office.
Under the package, the price of diesel oil has been reduced by Rp200 from Rp6.9 thousand to Rp6.7 thousand per liter.
However, the price of premium gasoline remains unchanged at Rp7.4 thousand per liter for Java, Madura, and Bali and Rp7.3 thousand per liter for the rest of the country.
The minister remarked that the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the 12-kilogram cylinder category has been reduced by 4.72 percent to Rp134 thousand from Rp141 thousand. The new price took effect on September 16, 2015.
The price of Pertamax gasoline has been reduced to Rp nine thousand from Rp9,250 per liter since October 1, 2015, he added. (WDY)
Pewarta: Reported by Feru Lantara: I Gusti Bagus Widyantara
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