REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) Fachri Hamzah has urged the government to seek appropriate solutions to overcome the country's economic slowdown.
"It must find a way out," Hamzah said here on Monday.
From what he gathered during his working visit to the region, Hamzah pointed out that the economic slowdown had affected the community.
"There must be a way out. If there is a problem, let us resolve it immediately," he emphasized.
He stated that many governors and regents were concerned about the economic slowdown.
"Several governors and regents expressed their concern over the economic slowdown," he remarked.
According to the DPR vice chief, it is the implementation of the 2015 revised budget that needs attention.
"The DPR has given its consent to the government to discuss the 2015 revised budget. But why is there an economic slowdown? It has become a public query," he observed.
Hamzah further noted that if the president proposed the bill and it is discussed during the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) 2015, then the procedures and study must be carried out by the government.
Indonesia's economy recorded a slower growth rate of 4.71 percent in the January to March period as compared to the 5.14 percent recorded in the corresponding period last year, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Tuesday.
The low economic growth in China, an export destination of Indonesia, coupled with the low global oil prices and declining export and import performances affected the economic performance in the first quarter.
He said that the information and communication sector registered the highest growth, contributing 10.53 percent to the economic growth, while household consumption grew 5.01 percent.
As compared to the previous quarter, economic growth in the first quarter of 2015 fell by 0.18 percent from 5.02 percent.
However, Bank Indonesia has predicted that the national economic growth will rebound in the second quarter of 2015 after contracting to 4.71 percent in the first quarter.
"Government spending is expected to increase in the second quarter of 2015, which will serve as a stimulus to boost economic growth," Executive Director of the Communications Department of BI Tirta Segara affirmed.
Segara has forecast that investment will increase in the remaining three quarters as well, along with increased government spending on infrastructure projects.
"This is in line with the progress report on the construction of various infrastructure projects," he remarked.
After all, the national economy still runs the risk of moving closer to the lower target limit of 5.4 to 5.8 percent this year, he added.
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