Indonesian President calls on central bank to take bigger role in reforms

[JAKARTA] Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Thursday he hoped that the central bank would take on "a more significant role" in the reforms the government is pursuing, including in encouraging job creation.

"It is my hope that Bank Indonesia (BI) will play a more significant role in the fundamental reforms that we are currently executing, provide greater contributions towards mobilising the real sector, (and) encourage the creation of new jobs," he told the 2020 BI annual meeting with senior officials and top bankers.

Mr Widodo did not make clear what reforms he was referring to, but his administration and members of parliament's financial commission last month filed a draft bill on the financial sector which among other proposals included a plan to expand BI's mandate to include economic growth and employment.

REUTERS