Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that Indonesia has the potential to achieve a similar growth rate as economic powerhouses China and India, as long as it addresses its infrastructure issues and attracts more foreign investment. Despite experiencing its fastest growth in 11 years at 6.3 percent, Indonesia still trails behind China's projected 11.5 percent growth and India's anticipated 9 percent growth. Kalla expressed confidence in Indonesia's ability to reach this level of growth by improving infrastructure and implementing investor-friendly regulations. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was elected in 2004, has focused on combating corruption, boosting growth, and creating jobs. Kalla highlighted the government's efforts to address obstacles to growth, such as corruption and labor laws that deter investors. The wealthy businessman from Indonesia's Sulawesi island described the current period as a transition phase, with a presidential election scheduled for 2009. Kalla is considered a potential rival to Yudhoyono rather than his partner in the upcoming election. When questioned about his intentions to run alongside or against Yudhoyono, Kalla stated that the decision would be made in 2009 and is not solely his own decision, but also a party decision. Despite leading the dominant Golkar party in parliament, Kalla did not dismiss the possibility of running for president. Kalla remained optimistic about the economy despite the recent decline in the rupiah currency, attributing it to concerns about high oil prices and government fuel subsidies. He expressed confidence in the central bank's ability to address the situation, noting that they typically intervene when the rupiah falls between 9,300 and 9,500 per dollar. The responsible for forests in the world, Kalla, expressed confidence in the economy meeting a government growth target of 6.8 percent next year. He stated that there are no plans to cut or reduce fuel subsidies, which are politically sensitive in Indonesia. Past cuts in subsidies have resulted in riots, and with elections scheduled for 2009, analysts believe the government is unlikely to make any cuts. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati mentioned that energy subsidies could reach 88.2 trillion rupiah ($9.37 billion) this year, exceeding the 55.6 trillion rupiah allocated in the 2007 budget. Kalla also stated that nuclear energy is not a priority for Indonesia due to budget constraints, safety concerns, and the country's preference for other energy sources like geothermal and hydropower. Indonesia has plans to construct its first nuclear plant by 2016, but this has raised concerns among environmentalists about the risk of a nuclear accident given the country's frequent earthquakes. Kalla believes that Indonesia, with its significant portion of the world's tropical rain forests, is justified in asking wealthier nations to contribute financially to the preservation of forests in order to combat global warming. Indonesia, set to host a UN climate change conference in Bali with representatives from 190 countries, supports a program that would allow emission reductions from forests to be traded as carbon credits. It is estimated that Indonesia could potentially earn over $13 billion by protecting its forests if the plan is approved in Bali. Kalla emphasized the importance of global responsibility in preventing the exploitation of Indonesian timber by wealthier nations.