Indonesia's faster inflation, weak exports cloud economic outlook

Jakarta

INDONESIA'S annual inflation accelerated to its fastest pace in almost six years in December, due to a recent rise in prices of subsidised fuel, while exports fell more sharply than expected.

South-east Asia's largest economy has been wrestling with bringing down a worryingly large current account deficit, but a move to cut burdensome oil subsidies has been countered by weak commodities that have hit the country's exports.

Manufacturing activity also contracted for the third straight month in December, a private survey showed on Friday. The batch of weak data highlighting sl…