Apart From Omicron Who Is Going Crazy, Sri Mulyani's Subordinates Reveal The Biggest Enemy Of The Indonesian Economy In 2022

Head of the Fiscal Policy Agency of the Ministry of Finance Febrio Kacaribu. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) remains optimistic that economic growth of 5.2 percent in 2022 can be achieved.

Head of the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) of the Ministry of Finance, Febrio Kacaribu, said that this attitude would be accompanied by a number of precautions that needed to be taken.

"There are a number of risks that must be monitored and anticipated, in particular the spread of the Omicron variant," he said in a statement, quoted on Tuesday, February 8.

According to Febrio, since the end of 2021, various countries have experienced a new wave of COVD-19 due to this variant. The experience of various countries shows that the Omicron wave spreads faster than the delta variant, but also decreases faster.

He said, at this time Indonesia was also faced with an increase in daily cases of the Omicron variant which had touched the number above 36,000 cases as of February 6. However, the hospital occupancy rate (BOR) and mortality is still relatively lower than the delta wave.

"But remember, we must remain vigilant by maintaining discipline in implementing health protocols and being on guard to prepare various emergency measures if needed," he said.

Febrio added, the availability of adequate vaccines can be a crucial factor in handling the Omicron wave pandemic.

"Public participation is very important in carrying out the discipline of health protocols and vaccinations supported by a flexible and responsive APBN to face various challenges ahead," he said.

Meanwhile, other risks that need to be managed properly in order to achieve economic growth targets are external factors.

"Pressures such as high inflation, accelerated tapering off in the United States and the potential impact of ongoing geopolitical issues could have an impact on our economy," he said.

For this reason, the government, he said, along with other authorities who are members of the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) continue to work together to prepare an anticipatory policy mix in dealing with these global risks.

"In addition, the government will also continue to coordinate with Bank Indonesia and regional governments in maintaining food price stability throughout the national region," closed Febrio.