The tornado ride at Dufan (Fantasy Land) in Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, North Jakarta. (Photo: thejakartapost.com)Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s Jakarta administration has decidedto extend the closure of tourist destinations and entertainment venues untilApril 19 as part of the capital’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency CucuAhmad Kurnia said previously, the Jakarta administration announced the temporary closure ofcity-owned tourist destinations and entertainment venues from March 23 to April5.
The Indonesian government has outlined a worst-case scenario where thedomestic economy contracts by 0.4 percent as the COVID-19 pandemic arrestsswaths of economic activity and poses recessionary risks to Southeast Asia’slargest economy, said Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
Indonesia’s economy grew by 5.02 percent last year, already the slowestin four years. The World Bank has estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic willsignificantly slow Indonesia’s economic growth this year – 2.1 percent in 2020,down from the initially projected 5.1 percent – if the situation starts tonormalize by June.
The rupiah could hover around 17,500 Rp or even slideto as low as 20,000 Rp against the US dollar, the weakest in history, ifIndonesia’s economy contracts and the COVID-19 downturn is prolonged, MinisterSri Mulyani Indrawati warned.
The drop of the rupiah has made Indonesians worry about higher prices ofdaily supplies such as eggs, onions and sugar.
However, head of the national statistics bureau Kecuk Suhariyanto said Indonesia’s inflation rate in March was stillunder control./.
VNA
