Jakarta. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati on Wednesday firmly defended the credibility of the country’s second-quarter GDP data, dismissing public skepticism and affirming the government's full confidence in the national statistics agency.

The remarks came a day after the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that the economy grew 5.12 percent year-on-year in Q2 2025, marking the strongest quarterly performance in two years and exceeding forecasts from think tanks, international institutions, and independent economists.

However, the release triggered doubts among some economists, including researchers from the prominent Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), who cited anomalies in the data.

Indef researcher Andri Satrio Nugroho questioned the growth figure, suggesting it may have been “window dressing” by the government rather than a reflection of underlying economic conditions.

He noted that the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holidays --typically drivers of household spending -- fell in the first quarter, not the second. Yet Q1 growth was slower at 4.87 percent, raising questions about what drove the unexpectedly strong Q2 result.

Sri Mulyani rejected these claims, saying the government fully trusts the methodology, data sources, and transparency of BPS.

“BPS has clearly explained its data, its methodology, and its sources. We continue to trust BPS,” she told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

She added that BPS manages national statistics in a manner that is accountable and scientifically robust, and that its reports remain the official benchmark for government policy decisions.

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