VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated that in 2018, the development programs will be focused on improving welfare and reducing poverty. To achieve such goals, the ministry will lead economic reform agenda including in the fiscal aspect of 2018. Sri Mulyani mentioned that 2018 fiscal policy is still directed at three main strategies including optimizing revenue, improvement in the quality of expenditure and cautious, sustainable financing. By doing so, state budget (APBN) management will be strengthened. Such strategies are devised to support healthy economic growth at the level of 5.4 percent and decrease in unemployment to 5–5.3 percent. Sri Mulyani stated in Malang on Friday that the level of poverty is to be reduced to under 10 percent, and Gini ratio to 0.38. Currently, Indonesia is one of the countries with the lowest level of debt in the world. Sri Mulyani concluded that Indonesia needs to maintain state budget deficit only for productive purpose to ensure debt payment and this is the responsibility for the future generation. (tempo)