Megawati-Prabowo set growth target too high: observer

The 10 percent economic growth target set by Mega-Pro presidential ticket is too high amid the economic crisis currently hitting many parts of the world, economic observer Kodrat Wibowo said.

"It is impossible for Indonesia to achieve a two-digit economic growth because Indonesia is part of the international world which is now experiencing an economic downturn," he said after a dialog on neo-liberalism and pro-people economy organized by a private radio station here over the weekend.


Kodrat Wibowo, who is an economist from the Padjadjaran University (Unpad) said that the two digit target set by the Mega-Pro pair was questionable.

Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is presidential hopeful of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and her running mate Prabowo Subianto of the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) have promised to boost the country`s economic growth to two digits if elected in the upcoming presidential polls on July 8.

"If they set a target of 7 percent in the coming five years, it would be reasonable but a 10 percent target would be questionable. What assumptions are they using to support it?" he questioned.

Wibowo said that if they argued about consumption to boost the growth, what were to be consumed? And if investment, there should be large scale investments from abroad. It was true to tax matters, they had to raise taxes. "These things have to be questioned," he said.