Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati welcomed a delegation from the World Bank, including Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde, on 22 July at the Ministry of Finance. The visit aimed to review two projects in Indonesia: an irrigation project for agriculture and a stunting reduction program. It also provided an opportunity to discuss Indonesia's views on ongoing reforms within the World Bank Group. Sri Mulyani highlighted that the delegation praised Indonesia's steady economic growth of 5%, achieved despite global economic downturns and various shocks, such as rising interest rates, commodity price fluctuations, and geopolitical tensions. The World Bank officials acknowledged this as a significant achievement for Indonesia.
The discussions also covered topics like streamlining internal procedures at the World Bank, pricing, new instruments and funding for global public goods, including climate change, and efforts to enhance integrated operations with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). Sri Mulyani emphasized Indonesia's commitment to improving the quality of human resources through better healthcare, education, and social safety nets. She informed Anna Bjerde that Indonesia is currently drafting the 2025 State Budget (APBN), which will mark a transition to a new government following the elections. She assured that the budget will be managed prudently, credibly, and sustainably to address various development challenges in Indonesia. This visit underscores the positive relationship between Indonesia and the World Bank and highlights Indonesia's resilience and effective economic management amidst global uncertainties.
