Jakarta - Bank Indonesia (BI) has the potential to maintain the benchmark interest rate or the BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate (BI7DRR). The central bank will announce the decision today on Thursday (19/8).

"In the midst of this uncertain situation, BI needs to maintain its policy interest rate at 3.5% while maintaining the exchange rate and financial stability," said UI Economic Observer Teuku Riefky in a statement on Thursday (19/8).

According to Riefky, economic growth has the opportunity to slow down in the period July to September 2021 even though the previous quarter shot 7.07%.

"This assumption is reflected in the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data which fell to a contraction phase last month. The July 2021 Manufacturing PMI was recorded to have fallen to the level of 40.1 after the previous month's 53.5. This also marks the first contraction in the manufacturing sector in nine years. last month," he said.