Indonesian finance minister says 7pc GDP growth in 2016 is 'possible'

18 Dec, 2014

JAKARTA: Indonesia can lift its economic growth rate to 7 percent in 2016 barring any major turbulence, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said on Thursday.

This year, Indonesia will have its slowest growth since 2009.

The finance ministry has forecast growth of 5.1 percent for 2014 and 5.8 percent for next year. Brodjonegoro also said on Thursday that Indonesia aims to cut its budget deficit to 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, partly through a reform of the tax system.

The deficit for 2014 is expected to be 2.4 percent.

The reduced deficit will allow national debt to be kept to 25 percent of GDP, he added. As of the third quarter, Indonesia's national debt stood at 34.68 percent of GDP.

Copyright Reuters, 2014

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