TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
IMF’s global call to cut debt irrelevant to Indonesia: Sri Mulyani
Change Size
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
F
inance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said that the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) call for governments around the world to reduce foreign debt was irrelevant to Indonesia, because the country’s debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio was low.
“Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio is only 30 percent. This is low [compared to] the international standard,” Sri Mulyani said on Tuesday as quoted by kontan.co.id. She also highlighted Indonesia's good macroeconomic condition: economic growth above 5 percent, 3 percent inflation and a state budget deficit of 1.76 percent.
“Meanwhile, Indonesia’s economic growth is more than 5 percent, while the state budget deficit is less than 2 percent. Therefore, the [IFM’s call] is irrelevant to Indonesia,” she said.
Sri Mulyani said that the IMF's call addressed only those countries with a high debt-to-GDP ratio.
“There are advanced countries, like those in Europe, whose debt-to-GDP ratio reach 60 percent, 80 percent, even 100 percent. Such countries need to undertake fiscal consolidation,” she said. “There are countries with a debt-to-GDP ratio of above 60 percent and a state budget deficit of 2 percent, like Italy.”
She added that some emerging economies had a debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 40 percent.
Sri Maulyani said that such countries needed to manage their fiscal balance by reducing their state deficit and debt, but such a policy had to be implemented carefully so as not to slow economic growth. (bbn)
