IMF Officials Believe That Indonesia Is Not In A Crisis Situation, SOE Minister: Not Lowering Vigilance

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva (right) talks with SOE Minister Erick Thohir (left). (Photo: Doc. Antara/Ministry of SOEs)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir said Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva conveyed three things. One of them is to ensure that Indonesia is not in a crisis situation.

This was conveyed by Georgieva during her visit to Sarinah, on Sunday, July 17. He arrived in Sarinah in the afternoon and was immediately invited by Erick Thohir and the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno on a tour of the 74-meter-long Garuda Nusantara batik cloth installation in the south lobby area, to see the reliefs left by Indonesia's First President Sukarno.

"Three things were conveyed, first, he made sure that Indonesia was not in the brink of a crisis as it was rumored," said Erick, in a written statement, Monday, July 18.

Erick Thohir said even though what Georgieva conveyed gave a positive image for Indonesia's development and economy. However, this does not reduce Indonesia's vigilance even though internally the Indonesian economy is in a strong position.

"Externally, what is called geopolitics, the global economy can have an impact," said Erick.

Georgieva, continued Erick, assessed that Indonesia was heading in a good direction by having a strong economic foundation with progress in infrastructure development and empowerment of MSMEs.

In addition, continued Erick, Georgieva was also amazed by Indonesia's efforts to strengthen the economic ecosystem like the one in Sarinah. However, strengthening the ecosystem cannot be a sectoral ego, but must support each other and there must be concrete results.

Erick said that Sarinah was not only a storefront for local products, but also the government's efforts to improve the quality of local products that can compete in the global and sustainable arena.

"There is no longer a perception as if the product has a bad standard, we can prove it here, even yesterday the President said why MSMEs must be sold cheaply, even though this is handmade by our nation," he said.