Govt expects this year`s credit growth to reach 20 pct
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government expects the country`s credit growth to reach 20 percent this year to boost investment and exports, a minister said.<br /><br />Speaking to the press here on Friday, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa expected all banking credits this year could be disbursed to support economic growth.<br /><br />The government also expected the difference between lending rates and deposit rates would decline to make the lending rates more competitive even if Bank Indonesia (the central bank/BI) maintained its benchmark interest (BI Rate) at 6.5 percent.<br /><br />Hatta also expected public savings in domestic banks which reached an estimated Rp2,000 trillion could be used for productive activities.<br /><br />"The funds are quite huge. We hope it can be used to finance infrastructure projects in the long run," he said.<br />(*)