BPS Calls The End Of PPKM Has An Impact On Higher Population Mobility

Deputy for Balance and Statistics Analysis of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Edy Mahmud. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Balance and Statistical Analysis of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Edy Mahmud said that the end of the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) had an impact on higher population mobility.

"This increase in community mobility is encouraging an increase in economic activity," said Edy in the Announcement of the Release of Economic Growth in the First Quarter of 2023, quoted from Antara, Friday,

The higher population mobility can be seen from the increasing number of passengers in all modes of transportation such as rail transportation up 69.37 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year (year-on-year/yoy), sea transportation 13.30 percent (yoy), and air transportation 58.18 percent (yoy).

In addition, he continued, the number of foreign tourist visits also increased by 508.87 percent (yoy) and the average Room Occupancy Rate (TPK) of Hotels increased by 3.62 percentage points (yoy).

Thus, economic activity both in terms of consumption and production increased. In terms of consumption, it can be seen from the retail sales index which grew by 1.58 percent (yoy), wholesale car sales rose 7 percent (yoy), motorcycle sales rose 44.47 percent (yoy), income tax revenue (PPh) Article 21 grew 21.6 percent (yoy), and the value of electronic money transactions, debit cards, and loans grew 3.03 percent.

Even though consumption has increased, Edy assesses that purchasing power stability is maintained with controlled inflation.

"Inflation in March 2023 was recorded at 4.97 percent (yoy) and 0.68 percent in the quarterly (quarter-to-quarter/qtq)," he said.

On the production side, he revealed that production activities were still stable with Bank Indonesia's Prompt Manufacturing Index (PMI) in the first quarter of 2023 which was in the expansion zone, used production capacity reached 72.33 percent, and imports of capital goods and consumer goods grew 10.50 percent (yoy) and 2.73 percent (yoy), respectively.

Then, it can also be seen from the increase in car production by 5.75 percent (yoy), electricity sales increased by 3.51 percent, mainly driven by electricity consumption from the business segment, and gas production of PT Perusahaan Gas Negara or PGN recorded an increase of 8.02 percent (yoy).