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World Bank Releases March 2015 Indonesia Economic Quarterly

From Indonesia Investment
March 18, 2015

The World Bank released its latest Indonesia Economic Quarterly report on 18 March 2015. In this report, entitled ‘High Expectations’, the World Bank states that it praises the early reform progress in several key areas such as fuel subsidies as well as more key reforms that are underway. This raises high expectations about the Indonesian economy in the middle and longer term. However, the government also faces challenges to implement further complex structural reforms amid subdued growth prospects.

Rapid economic growth for Southeast Asia’s largest economy is unlikely to occur before 2016 as investment growth remains sluggish and global commodity prices remain low (due to the economic slowdown in China) hence limiting Indonesia’s export performance. Considering this context, the World Bank believes that the only way to trigger speedy economic growth is by doubling government spending in infrastructure immediately (causing a multiplier effect by lifting demand and accelerate fixed investment spending), which currently stands at 4.3 percent (y/y). Indonesia is plagued by weak infrastructure thus resulting in high logistics costs and making Indonesian businesses less competitive.

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