Indonesia posts first current account surplus since 2011 in Q3

[JAKARTA] Indonesia recorded a US$1 billion current account surplus in the July-September period, its first surplus since the final quarter of 2011, as movement curbs to control the coronavirus pandemic suppressed imports, Bank Indonesia said on Friday.

The third-quarter current account surplus was equal to 0.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), and followed a deficit of 1.2 per cent of GDP in the previous three months, the central bank said in a statement.

Southeast Asia's largest economy also recorded a surplus in its capital and financial accounts in the third quarter, bringing the balance of payments to a US$2.1 billion surplus. The balance of payments' surplus in April-June was US$9.2 billion.

REUTERS