Indonesia approves 2017 state budget with 2.41% deficit

Jakarta

INDONESIA'S parliament on Wednesday approved the government's 2017 budget, described by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati as a "balanced budget".

The budget, at a deficit of 2.41 per cent of gross domestic product, is bigger than the initial 2016 budget of 2.15 per cent but smaller than the expected 2.7 per cent deficit this year.