The usual festive mood of Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been subdued in Indonesia this year, as people grapple with soaring prices for food, clothing and essential goods.
Consumer spending ahead of the biggest religious holiday for Muslims, which was celebrated on Sunday in Indonesia, has declined compared with the previous year, with a predicted slowdown in cash circulation due to fewer travelers.
Each year in Indonesia, nearly three-quarters of the population of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country travel for the annual homecoming known locally as “mudik” that is always welcomed with excitement.
Photo: AFP
People pour out of major cities to return to villages to celebrate the holiday with prayers, feasts and family gatherings. Flights are overbooked and anxious relatives weighed down with boxes of gifts form long lines at bus and train stations for the journey
However, this year, the Ministry of Transportation said Eid travelers reached 146 million people, down 24 percent from last year’s 194 million.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry projects that money circulation during Eid would reach 137.97 trillion rupiah (US$8.33 billion), down from 157.3 trillion last year. The weakening purchasing power is also reflected in Bank Indonesia’s consumer confidence index, which dipped to 126.4 in February from 127.2 in January.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Those trends indicate the economy is under strain, driven by economic hardship, coupled with currency depreciation and mass layoffs in manufacturing, Center for Economic and Law Studies executive director Bhima Yudistira said.
“These have weakened both corporate earnings and workers’ incomes that suppress consumer spending,” Yudistira said, adding that he “expects a less vibrant festive season.”
The festive spirit has been stifled by harsh economic realities, as soaring prices and dwindling incomes force residents to prioritize survival over celebration.
Traditionally household consumption is a key driver of Indonesia’s GDP. It contributed more than 50 percent to the economy last year, helping push annual growth to 5.11 percent. However, consumer spending this year is expected to be more subdued, Yudistira said.
Despite the downturn, the government remains optimistic that the Ramadan and Eid momentum would support economic growth in the first quarter.
“Eid usually boosts the economy through increased spending,” Indonesian Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said ahead of the Islamic holiday.
The government recently introduced incentives to stimulate economic activity, including airfare and toll road fee discounts, nationwide online shopping events, direct cash assistance for 16 million households, electricity bill reductions for low-consumption customers, and tax exemptions for labor-intensive sectors.
“With these programs in place, the government hopes to sustain consumer spending and support economic stability,” Hartarto said.
The situation has also affected Endang Trisilowati, a mother of four, who said her family had to scale down their festivities budget.
“Honestly, the economic hardship is affecting us,” she said.
She described how she used to cook different dishes every Eid and invite neighbors, but now she can only afford a simple meal for her family.
“Many have resorted to just finding a way to eat on that festivity, but the spirit is low,” she said.
In India, Muslims are marking the celebration of Eid with special prayers, family gatherings and festive meals.
The holiday comes as the minority community faces vilification by hardline Hindu nationalists. Muslim groups are also protesting against a proposal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to change laws governing Muslim land endowments.
The government says it wants to weed out corruption and mismanagement in hundreds of thousands of Muslim land endowments, but Muslim groups say the proposal pending approval in India’s parliament is discriminatory.
Muslims, who comprise 14 percent of India’s 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party launched a nationwide initiative called “Saugat-e-Modi,” or “Modi’s gift,” during Ramadan that is expected to provide food and clothes to more than 3 million underprivileged Muslims to celebrate Eid.
In New Delhi, thousands assembled in the Jama Masjid, one of the nation’s largest mosques, to offer Eid prayers. Families came together early yesterday morning, and many people shared hugs and wishes.
“This is a day of giving and receiving love. Even if you meet an enemy, meet them with love today,” 18-year-old student Mohammed Nooruddin said.
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