Indonesia has announced a moratorium on executions to make room to concentrate on fixing its weak economy.

One of the nation’s most senior politicians said he had told his Australian counterparts that killings would stop for now.

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The co-ordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Luhut Panjaitan, made the announcement at a media conference this morning.

He said Indonesia needed to concentrate on the economy.

Indonesia’s economic growth dipped below 5 per cent for two consecutive quarters this year, and much needed foreign investment is yet to pour in to help build up the nation’s depleted infrastructure.

In September, the lead lawyer for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran predicted that the economic woes could lead to a moratorium on executions.

“We have a problem with declining exports to other countries. And we cannot afford to have another execution, as simple as that,” Todung Mulya Lubis said.

Australians Chan and Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the so-called Bali Nine, were among several foreigners shot dead in April, 2015.

Luhut Panjaitan says there will be no more executions of death row prisoners for now. Indonesia needs to concentrate on fixing its economy.

— Adam Harvey (@adharves) November 19, 2015

– ABC