Press Release No. 18/67

Statement by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Meeting with the Indonesian President Joko Widodo

February 26, 2018

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), met today with the Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Following the meeting, Ms. Lagarde made the following statement:

“I would like to thank President Widodo and the people of Indonesia for their very warm welcome and hospitality.  I am delighted to be back in Jakarta and it was a particular pleasure to accompany President Widodo on his blusukan visit to Pertamina Hospital and Tanah Abang Market, where I met so many wonderful Indonesian people. Their enthusiasm, energy, and service showcase the dynamism of the society and economy.

“In my meeting with the President, we discussed recent economic developments and the outlook for Indonesia, as well as the upcoming IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali in October 2018.

“Indonesia’s economy continues to prove resilient with a sound economic performance and favorable outlook. I commended the President and his team on their successful economic management and strengthened policy frameworks.

“We also discussed the importance of achieving higher potential growth to help create jobs for the growing labor force. This requires mobilizing revenues to finance development spending and support reforms in the product, labor, and financial markets.

“We look forward to holding the 2018 IMF-World Bank meetings here in October 2018, and I would like to thank the authorities for their excellent cooperation. While we will, of course, continue to monitor developments with regard to Mount Agung, we are moving ahead as planned to have a very successful Annual Meetings in Bali.”