The Information And Communication Sector Is The Only Business Field That Grows Positively In The Second Quarter Of 2020

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that the information and communication sector was the only business field that recorded positive growth during the second quarter of 2020 compared to 16 other sectors.

Head of BPS Suhariyanto said that this growth was driven by the increasing number of internet service users during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020 this sector grew by 10.88 percent. Meanwhile, last year's growth in this sector was only 9.60 percent.

"Of the 17 existing sectors, there are only 7 sectors that are still growing but slowing down. Except for the information and communication sector. So during the COVID-19 pandemic, the information and communication sector grew by 10.88 percent," he said in a press conference. virtual, Wednesday, August 5.

According to Suhariyanto, growth in this sector was triggered by increased spending on television advertising and digital media during the pandemic. In addition, it is also due to the increase in internet data traffic.

"Interactive television has also contributed to this growth," he said.

In terms of the business sector, the transportation and warehousing sectors experienced the deepest contraction by 30.84 percent. Then, financial services only grew 1.03 percent after last year's growth of 4.49 percent, and real estate grew 2.3 percent.

Previously, BPS noted that economic growth in the second quarter of 2020 contracted or minus 5.32 percent on an annual basis or year on year (yoy). This figure worsened from the first quarter of 2020 which reached 2.97 percent and the second quarter of 2019 at 5.05 percent. Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on constant prices in the second quarter of 2020 amounted to IDR 2,589.6 trillion.

When compared to the first quarter of 2020, Indonesia's economic growth contracted minus 4.19 percent. Meanwhile, cumulatively in the first semester of 2020 against the same period last year, contracted by 1.26 percent.

Suhariyanto explained that the contraction of 5.32 percent was the lowest since the first quarter of 1999. At that time, the Indonesian economy contracted by 6.13 percent.