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Indonesia's bid for faster growth stumbles on high loan rates

Published Wed, Jan 4, 2017 · 09:50 PM

Jakarta

WHEN Indonesian President Joko Widodo 11 months ago called for the interest rates that borrowers pay banks to "fall, fall, fall" and become single digit, businesses in South-east Asia's largest economy cheered.

But as 2017 begins, lending rates remain double-digit, well above his 9 per cent target, even though the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate six times last year.