Indonesia may achieve economic growth of nearly 6.0 percent in 2006, up on last year's of 5.6 percent, the minister for economic affairs said Tuesday.
"I am optimistic that achieving (gross domestic product) growth of close to 6.0 percent is not impossible," Budiono told reporters.
The official growth forecast for 2006 is still 6.2 percent but institutions such as the central bank and the World Bank, as well as independent economists, have predicted a lower rate. In 2004, growth was at 5.05 percent.
Bank Indonesia has said that due to increases in fuel prices last year, Southeast Asia's largest economy may grow only 5.0-5.7 percent in 2006.
