DEFICIT REMAINS 2.5 PCT, ALTHOUGH TAX REVENUE DOWN

Jakarta, July 22 (ANTARA) - Acting coordinating minister of the economy and concurrently finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the tax revenue in the first semester of 2009 was still matching that projected in the 2009 revised state budget, so that the government has no need to revise the budget deficit set at 2.5 percent or Rp 139.5 trillion.

Sri Mulyani made the statement on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Bank Indonesia Museum in Jakarta Tuesday.

On a different occasion Taxation Director General Darmin Nasution said the tax renevue in this year's first semester, reaching Rp253.18 trillion (including income tax on oil and gas), or 43.07 percent of the total projected 2009 tax revenue of Rp586 trillion.

The revenue dropped 2,83 percent compared to last year's first semester of Rp260.56 trillion, or 48.74 percent of the 2008 projected tax renenue.

Previously, State Minister for Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Paskah Suzetta said that actually the government has predicted the drop in tax renenue.

In the meantime, chairman of Commission XI of the House of Representatives Ahmad Hafiz Zawawi said he has yet to receive information from the government on this year's increased deficit.

He said a drop in tax revenue can always increase the deficit, but on the other hand, the government can always reduce its expenses to lower the deficit.

Hafiz said if the decline in tax revenue would reach Rp 100 trillion, it would undoubtedly raise the deficit.

In the meantime, Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she remained optimistic that Indonesia's economy in the third and fourth quarters of 2009 remained strong, along with the economic revival in the United States.

She said Indonesia is still an interesting place for investment, for which the government and relevant sides need to prepare promotional campaigns.