Economy expands steadily in Q2

Indonesia’s economy expanded steadily in the second quarter as consumption remained subdued and exports growth slowed. The national statistics bureau announced on Monday that the Southeast Asia’s biggest economy grew 5.01 percent from April to June on a yearly basis, equal with that in the first three months. Household consumption, which accounts for about 57 percent of the GDP growth, expanded slightly 4.95 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, compared with 4.94 percent at the previous quarter, head of the bureau Kecuk Suhariyanto said. Export was down 3.5 percent at the second quarter, compared with that in the first quarter, said Suhariyanto. Indonesia has attempted to accelerate economic growth to create jobs in the country with a population of over 250 million. For this year, the government expects 5.2 percent GDP growth, higher than that of 5.02 percent last year.