JAKARTA - The Indonesian government aims to sell samurai bonds in the second semester of 2020 as part of efforts to fund the fiscal gap, a finance ministry official said on Thursday.
"We have started to do the preparation for samurai bond (issuance) in Japan," Deni Ridwan, director of sovereign bonds at the finance ministry, said in a video call.
Indonesia's budget deficit in 2020 is expected to widen further to 6.34% of gross domestic product or about 1,039.2 trillion rupiah ($73.78 billion) as the government steps up spending for its coronavirus response and economic stimulus.
($1 = 14,085.0000 rupiah)
(Reporting by Tabita Diela; Editing by Andrew Heavens) ((tabita.diela@thomsonreuters.com; +622129927621;))
