Indonesia can use the global economic downturn as momentum to gain world recognition as its economy keeps on expanding while others are tumbling down, the finance ministry says.
"The chance [of our economy] expanding more than 4 percent is very likely," Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in an interview Thursday.
"This is an important impetus that distinguishes us from other countries, as Indonesia's economy can have a closer economic growth to India and China, two emerging economies that have slumped due to the economic downturn,” she said.
In the first quarter of 2009, the economy enjoyed 4.4 percent growth, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
The government aims to have a growth of between 4 percent and 4.5 percent this year and between 5 percent and 6 percent in 2010 as the economy recovers from the global financial crisis.
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