VIVAnews - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is optimistic that there are three business sectors that can still grow during the 2009 crisis: oil and gas mining sector, non-oil-and-gas mining sector, and the oil and gas industry.
According to Sri Mulyani compared to 2008, oil and gas as well as non-oil-and-gas mining could each grow by 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry is projected to grow 5.0 percent from a 0 percent growth in 2008.
"The oil and gas mining sector can grow because prices and demand can still improve," said Mulyani at the House of Representatives, Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Sri Mulyani said that there is still a possibility that oil prices would reach close to US$50 per barrel. "But for the purposes of the 2009 State Budget projection, we are assuming US$45 per barrel,” she said
When her optimism was questioned by members of the House of Representatives, Mulyani answered that each sector is bound to have its own challenges. “Sharp decline is indeed happening but that is more in the financial sector which experienced a growth decline from 8.5 percent in 2008 to 5 percent in 2009,” said Mulyani.
According to Mulyani, the weakening of the financial sector is due to expected consolidation. The government is still optimistic that in the year 2009 the economic growth can still be maintained in the range of 4.5 to 5 percent.
Translated by: Ramona Sofianne Dewi
