Jakarta bets on fourth-quarter growth

Cautious stance: A worker at a batik industrial area in Sukoharjo, Central Java. The government has lowered its best-case third-quarter growth outlook from 5.7% to 5.4% but has held its best-case fourth-quarter outlook at 5.9%. — Reuters

JAKARTA: The government is banking on fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth to reach its annual target as an unprecedented Covid-19 wave promises to dampen the third-quarter economic recovery.

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto told reporters that the government would focus its resources on containing the second virus wave in the third quarter so that it could ease public activity restrictions (PPKM) by the fourth quarter.