Yudhoyono’s Achievements

I AGREE WITH JOE COCHRANE’S ILLUSTRATIONS of the enormous challenges faced by Indonesia, but he is dead wrong if he suggests that President S. B. Yudhoyono’s reform is “drifting” (“Jakarta Drifts”, Feb. 19). The facts speak for themselves. Since coming to office 27 months ago, President Yudhoyono has delivered a permanent peace deal in Aceh (the first one in 30 years of conflict); launched the most aggressive anticorruption campaign in Indonesia’s history; reconstructed tsunami-torn Aceh; took the bold and politically difficult decision to reduce oil subsidies, not once but twice; advanced political reform in Papua; implemented the most ambitious local elections through-out Indonesia, which dramatically changed the political landscape;  resolved high-profile corporate disputes, and promoted good governance based on transparency, accountability and responsiveness. In the meantime, macroeconomic performance has been strong, and GDP growth, exports, foreign reserves, the stock-market index, tax revenues, credit ratings and spending on education, health and infrastructure are the highest since the economic crisis 1999, while our debt-to-GDP ratio (39.6 percent in 2006) is the lowest since the crisis.  In fact, last year we paid our debt to the International Monetary Fund four years ahead of schedule.  Reform of course, is an uphill battle: hiccups and mishaps do happen.  And in a vibrant of democracy like ours, every sector of reform must be pursued within a complex system with diverse actors, which affects the pace of reforms. But President Yudhoyono knows full well that his place in history will rest on his ability to change and modernize Indonesia. The latest independent poll found President Yudhoyono’s public-approval rating at 67 percent—higher than previous Indonesian leaders’ at half term, and high compared with other world leaders’ at half term.  Clearly, he must be doing something right.

Dino Patti Djalal

Presidential Spokesperson

Jakarta, Indonesia