Deputy minister disputes weakening purchasing power, cites QRIS surge
The government says spending is shifting to transport, tourism and online channels rather than declining overall.
Deputy Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Dradjad rejected the view that purchasing power among Indonesians is weakening. After meeting the head of the Central Statistics Agency at the BPS office in Jakarta on Monday, he said data discussed by the government instead show a major shift in consumption patterns. According to him, household spending is now flowing more heavily into transportation, tourism, restaurants, hotels and digital transactions.
Dradjad pointed to QRIS transaction growth of 67.22 percent year on year as one sign that consumption remains active. He also cited rising spending on online platforms, in line with consumers shifting from offline transactions to digital channels. In addition, he said transportation activity and travel to tourist destinations have strengthened, which he described as reflecting a change in how people spend their money.