REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati described as positive the country's economic growth of 5.06 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. She explained economic growth was higher than a growth of 5.01 percent recorded in the same period last year.

She said components supporting the economic growth in the first three months of the year is investment or Gross Fixed Capital Formation, which grew 7.95 percent and exports which grew 6.17 percent.

"This is something good, meaning the government's endeavor to increase investment begins to show result, there is picking up. We still hope that exports would grow still," she said on Monday.

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She said investment and exports would grow stronger in the following quarter as a result of reforms which has consistently been carried out with better coordination with the business world.

"So far we have launched reform to boost investment. Export capacity and competitiveness also are expanded and strengthened although part of our imports is for capital goods," Sri Mulyani said.

As for household consumption which grew only 4.95 percent in the three months period, Sri Mulyani said she hoped this expenditure component would grow better in the second and third quarters of this year.

"In the second quarter there would be Ied ul Fitr, holiday allowance and bonuses. They will have impact. In the third quarter there would Asian Games. All of those would contribute to increase in consumption," she said.

Altogether, she said, the economic growth in the first quarter of this year could serve a strong foundation for economic growth in the whole of 2018, with the economic growth target of 5.4 percent.

"We hope there would be a stronger swing in the second and third quarters, that the economy could grow 5.4 percents," the minister said.

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