The important moment is not a recession or a recession …

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia officially entered recession due to stress the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The economy in the third quarter of 2020 was minus 3.49 percent, continuing the economic pace of the previous quarter which was minus 5.32 percent.

Special Staff to the Minister of Finance Yustinus Prastowo said that even though Indonesia’s economy had contracted, it had begun to show a recovery. According to him, a number of economic indicators have improved in the third quarter of 2020.

At least this is reflected in the smaller contraction between the second quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2020.

Also read: Economist: Indonesia is in Recession, People Don’t Panic

“Right now the important thing is not a recession or not a recession, but how the government responds and its policy directions. on track, we just need to focus and accelerate, “he said during the Trijaya Polemic on Securities Recession in the Middle of a Pandemic, Saturday (7/11/2020).

Yustinus stated that the pandemic prompted for the first time in Indonesia’s history, the government was the only supporter of economic growth. In the third quarter of 2020, government consumption grew 9.76 percent, the only positive component.

Household consumption was recorded at minus 4.04 percent, LNPRT consumption at minus 2.12 percent, investment at minus 6.48 percent, exports at minus 10.82 percent, and imports at minus 21.86 percent.

“This must be maintained, because it is very important to arrange a future with an increasingly responsive government to become an accelerator for the private sector to grow, and society will also recover from the side. income, “he said.

Also read: Impact of Pandemic: Indonesia Recession, Unemployment Reaches 9.77 Million

Need a reshuffle?

However, the Executive Director of Indonesia Political Opinion, Dedi Kurnia Syah, assessed that the current economic recession cannot be separated from the problem of lack of coordination in the government. According to Dedi, economic issues are the responsibility of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto.

“I cannot possibly say too far that this is all weak supervision or control of the president, no, because there is already a coordinating minister’s role. This means that those who are responsible in the midst of recession and our current troubles must be delegated to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy. he said on the same occasion.

Therefore, Dedi said, it is possible for President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to reshuffle the ministers, especially those in strategic ministries. This is to improve coordination in the government in promoting economic recovery.

“In my opinion (reshuffle) is not something to be embarrassed about, not a disgrace, if the condition is that the situation is not maintained, the performance is not significant. There is nothing wrong with the president changing to progressive people, especially those who are placed in strategic economic positions,” he explained.

A number of names were mentioned by Dedi, apart from Airlangga, according to him it was necessary to also consider the Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah, Minister of ATR / Head of BPN Sofyan Djalil, Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto, and Minister of Industry Agum Gumiwang.

“For example, the Minister of Manpower, ATR, Trade, Industry, those are strategic matters, while the work is collective, not one-to-one. Of course the President has already considered this matter,” he concluded.

Also read: Indonesia Officially Recession, Coordinating Minister Airlangga Discusses Market Response

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