Legislative Elections and Hope For Change
Legislative Elections and Hope For Change
Akhmad Akbar Susamto1
The general legislative elections (Pileg) 2014 is imminent. Based on phases of the conduct of the election, which the national elections commission has released, elections for electing members of regional representatives assembly, national legislative assembly, and regional legislative assembly are slated for 9 April 2014. The elections will feature individual candidates vying for regional legislative assembly seats, 12 political parties that will contest for seats in the national assembly and regional legislative assemblies, of which 11 are ‘old’ political parties while one is a new political party.
Economic Outlook 2014
By: Prof. Mudrajad Kuncoro, Ph.D1
Depreciation of rupiah and decline in the composite share price index has caused panic in the business community. Enterprises dealing in tofu-soybean cake, electronic goods and a number of enterprises that produce products that have high import content are screaming about the rising cost of the US dollar. Is it just external factors or fragile Indonesian economic fundamentals that make the country susceptible to external shocks?
Figure 24: Development in Exchange rate and composite share price index during SBY regime
Indonesia faces an overhang of Crisis “Syndrom”
Indonesia faces an overhang of Crisis “Syndrom”
By: Prof. Tri Widodo, Ph.D
Are there any reasons for anybody to countenance the possibility of a new chapter of the economic crisis in Indonesia? Three macroeconomic issues that are worth serious attention in relation to latest developments in Indonesia economy. The list includes economic growth, unemployment and stabilization.
Economic growth that has weakened
Economic growth registered in the last three quarters attest to a weakening economy. The target set for economic growth in the revised annual budget 2013 was 6.3% , which in all likelihood will be difficult to achieve. Bank Indonesia (2013) and BPS (2013) indicate that conditions over the last two quarters pointed to economic growth of 5.8%. The implication of that is clear, for according to Okun’s law, low economic growth means that the economy has limited capacity to absorb employees. Apparently, the trickle-down effect from macroeconomy that posts growth of 5.8% , does not have ample capacity to absorb employment, “the state of microeconomy does not have as much spackle as the macroeconomy” due to structural weaknesses, such as competitiveness of manpower, infrastructure and so on.