Bank Indonesia says 5.4% growth this year is too optimistic

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s central bank said economic growth of 5.4% this year is too optimistic and the nation should aspire for higher credit ratings to catch up with South-East Asian peers.

“In our view, the 2017 growth rate should be higher than 2016,” Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Governor Mirza Adityaswara said in an interview in Jakarta on Friday. “Maybe 5.4% is still a bit too aggressive, but we think 5.1% to 5.2% is still a possible number to achieve in 2017.”