RI Supports Global Economic Growth

Jakarta, July 18 (Antara) - Indonesia can play its role to support and contribute to the global economic growth in the midst of crisis, Finance Minister Chatib Basri said here on Wednesday. "Indonesia has better position and therefore it can help support the global economic growth," the minister said when explaining the seemingly improving global economic condition that will be discussed at the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 in Moscow from July 18-20, 2013. Chatib, who would attend the meeting with Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo, said Indonesia could play its role in the forum because of its relatively stable and strong economic growth. "Asia is now becoming more important because of three dominant countries with strong economic growth namely China, India, and Indonesia," he said. Although the global economic growth is dominated by Asia, he said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered the growth projection in the region because of China`s weaker economic condition. ADB in its latest report has lowered the economic growth projection of 45 developed countries in Asia in 2013 to 6.3 percent and in 2014 it is predicted to reach 6.4 percent. In its previous report in April 2013, ADB predicted that the growth in the 45 developed countries in Asia would reach 6.6 percent and 6.7 percent in 2014. But Indonesia in its revised national budget 2013 set macro assumptions for economic growth at 6.3 percent, or dropped from 6.8 percent in the state budget. However, the World Bank revised the Indonesian economic growth projection in 2013 from 6.2 percent to 5.9 percent because of weakening domestic consumption and a decrease in export.