RI's Gross Domestic Product Recorded Solid Growth at Rp9,084 Trillion

Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara) - Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) drastically increased over the last ten years from Rp2,205 trillion in 2004 to Rp9,084 trillion in 2013, stated President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "With the success achieved in increasing its GDP, Indonesia has improved its position and is now in the group of the world's 15 biggest economies," the President noted in a written statement received here on Thursday. The President made the remarks while addressing a national development planning meeting at Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta, which was also attended by governors, including the Riau governor, on Wednesday. President Yudhoyono remarked that the country's foreign exchange reserves were recorded at US$124.6 billion, but it had dropped to US$103 billion. He affirmed that the government had also succeeded in lowering the country's debt ratio against the GDP from 56.6 percent in 2004 to 23 percent in 2014. As compared to those of the G20 countries, Indonesia's debt ratio is the lowest one, he pointed out. He further added that the debt ratio of Japan toward its GDP is 227.2 percent, Germany 86 percent, Britain 107 percent, and the United States 104 percent. Indonesia's external debts also dropped 27.8 percent in 2004 to 7.8 percent in 2014 or about 70 percent cumulatively. The state budget also increased four folds as compared to that over the past decade from Rp427.3 trillion to Rp1,842.5 trillion. (*)