Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs has addressed the request for a United Nations (UN) audit of Indonesia's Q2 2025 economic growth data, which was published by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
The request was formally submitted by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) through a letter of investigation sent to the UN statistical bodies, the United Nations Statistics Division and the United Nations Statistical Commission.
Spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Haryo Limanseto, stated that the BPS is the government's official statistics agency and has been operating for decades. Therefore, the government maintains its trust in the BPS, regardless of whether the results are favorable or not.
"Whether the results are good, bad, or meet our expectations, we trust the mandated authority," Haryo said in a statement to Tempo on Saturday, August 9, 2025.
Based on BPS data, Indonesia's economy grew by 5.12 percent in Q2 2025, a notable increase from the 4.87 percent recorded in Q1 2025. "Actually, if the results are good, we are happy because it can show optimism," Haryo commented.
Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director of Celios, explained that the audit request aims to uphold the credibility of BPS data. Celios believes there are indications of a discrepancy between the reported 5.12 percent economic growth and the actual economic conditions. This data, he noted, is widely used for research by academic institutions, banking analysts, the business community, and the general public.
According to Bhima, Celios has examined all the indicators presented by the BPS, including manufacturing industry data. While the BPS reported that the manufacturing sector grew by 5.68 percent in Q2 2025, Bhima pointed out that manufacturing activity, as measured by the Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI), contracted during the same period.
"So, what's the basis for the manufacturing industry's growth of 5.68 percent? The unsynchronized data needs to be answered with transparency," Bhima said in a formal announcement on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Celios's Fiscal Policy Director, Media Wahyudi Askar, added that any institutional pressure or intervention in the data-gathering process would violate the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the UN Statistical Commission.
Media further elaborated that BPS data is not only technical but also directly impacts Indonesia's international reputation and the welfare of its citizens. He warned that inaccurate economic data could lead to flawed policy decisions.
"Imagine, with inaccurate data, the government could mistakenly delay stimuli, subsidies, or social protections because it assumes the economy is doing well," he said.
Tempo has attempted to reach BPS Deputy Chief Sonny Harry Harmadi and the Head of the BPS Media and Communication Statistics Unit, Eko Rahmadian, for comment, but has not received a response.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2037709/govt-reacts-to-call-for-un-audit-on-q2-2025-economic-growth-dat