Jokowi Pushes Tourism for Dollars as Funds Flee Indonesia
- Indonesia targets $20 billion from foreign tourists in 2019
- Government set to boost exports to contain widening deficits
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As foreign funds continue to dump Indonesian stocks and bonds, President Joko Widodo is chasing dollars from tourism and exports to help contain a widening current-account deficit.
Widodo, known as Jokowi, ordered ministers, officials and central bankers on Thursday to step up efforts to lure more foreign visitors into the pristine sand beaches dotting hundreds of islands across the archipelago. He also asked provincial chiefs to expedite tourism and exports-related investments to address the twin deficits of current-account and trade.