Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – One of Indonesia's most senior ministers has denied there will be a formal moratorium on executions in Indonesia.

Co-ordinating Minister for political, legal and security affairs Luhut Panjaitan had earlier on Thursday said there would not be any executions for the time being because Indonesia was focusing on its economy.

This prompted media reports that the Indonesian government had declared a moratorium on the death penalty.

However when asked by reporters if it was true Indonesia would stop executions, Mr Panjaitan said: "No, I told them we will not carry out executions for the time being because we are now focusing on the economy."

The softening economy, the international backlash and a desire to attract foreign investment have dampened talk of a further round of executions in the near future, although many prisoners remain on death row.

Indonesian Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo said in October that his office would not carry out a third round of executions of inmates until the country got out of the current economic slowdown.

"The Attorney-General's Office is currently helping the government in prioritising the economy," Mr Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post. "We are still very busy with our economy," Mr Panjaitan said, when asked about executions at the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club last week.

Fourteen people were executed by firing squad in Indonesia this year, including Bali nine heroin smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-denies-moratorium-on-death-penalty-20151119-gl36nc.html