BPS: RI economy grows 6.5%

The Indonesian economy is set to grow at 6.5 percent as of the third quarter this year compared to the corresponding period last year, thanks partly to significant growth by more than 10 percent in trade and the hotel and restaurant industries, the National Statistics Agency (BPS) reported Monday.

BPS added the economic growth was also fueled by other sectors, such as transportation and communications, which grew by 9.5 percent, in addition to 7.8 percent growth from the service sector.

“We attribute this to growth in trade, hotels and restaurant sectors and to [longer] school holidays, which coincide with the Idul Fitri holidays and the home-bound exodus,” said an official with the agency, Slamet Sutomo, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

Slamet said his agency recorded the highest growth from the transportation sector with growth in air travel reaching 13.68 percent compared to growth in land transport transportation of 7.08 percent.