TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - During his two terms as president, the General Chairman of the Democratic Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY, claimed that the Indonesian economy was progressing.

From 2004 to 2014, the economy increased by an average of 6 percent and the unemployment rate decreased from 9.9 to 5.7 percent.

“Poverty rate also decreased from 16.7 to 10.96 percent, that means we can reduce it by about 6 percent or equivalent to 8.6 million people who are free from poverty," he said in a political speech on the 17th anniversary of the Democrats, in Jakarta, Monday, September 17.

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SBY explained that per capita income increased more than tripled, from Rp10.55 to Rp36.5 million. The ratio of government debt to the gross domestic product also decreased, from 56.6 to 25.6 percent, it makes Indonesia able to repay the IMF debts faster than its schedule.

“On this achievement, since 2008, Indonesia has become a member of the G-20 or a group of countries with the world's largest economy,” said SBY.

SBY said that for 10 years, Indonesia also had built agriculture, industry, energy, transportation, and infrastructure throughout the country. Electricity also increased significantly from 25,000 to 50,000 megawatts, up to 100 percent.

“The physical infrastructure that we build is not only transportation infrastructure, but also the infrastructure for education, health, housing, and others. And not only in big cities but also in rural areas,” said SBY.

BISNIS.COM