Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that Indonesia has the potential to achieve a growth rate similar to that of 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 falls behind China's 11.5 percent and India's 9 percent growth rates. Kalla expressed confidence in Indonesia's ability to reach such growth rates by improving infrastructure and providing a favorable environment for investors. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was elected in 2004, focused on addressing corruption, boosting growth, and creating jobs. Kalla mentioned that the government is working on overcoming obstacles to growth, including corruption and labor laws that deter investors. "This is a period of change," stated the affluent businessman, hailing from Sulawesi island in Indonesia. With a presidential election scheduled for 2009, Kalla is being viewed as a possible rival to Yudhoyono rather than his vice president. When questioned about his intentions to run alongside or against Yudhoyono, Kalla responded, "that question will be addressed in 2009. It is not solely my decision but also a decision of the party." However, Kalla, who leads the influential Golkar party in parliament, did not dismiss the possibility of running for president. Kalla expressed optimism about the economy despite the recent decline in the rupiah currency due to concerns about high oil prices and government fuel subsidies. He mentioned that the central bank will intervene if the rupiah falls between 9,300 and 9,500 per dollar. Kalla, who is confident in the economy's ability to reach a government growth target of 6.8 percent next year, stated that there are no plans to reduce fuel subsidies in Indonesia, which are politically sensitive and have led to riots in the past. Analysts believe that with elections scheduled for 2009, the government is unlikely to cut subsidies. 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 stated that nuclear energy is not a priority for Indonesia due to budget constraints, safety concerns, and a preference for other energy sources like geothermal and hydropower. Despite Indonesia's plans to construct its first nuclear plant by 2016, environmentalists are concerned about the potential for a nuclear accident, especially given the country's frequent earthquakes. Kalla believes it is appropriate for Indonesia, with 10 percent of the world's tropical rainforests, to urge wealthier nations to help fund forest preservation to combat global warming. Indonesia, hosting a UN climate change conference in Bali, supports a plan that would allow emission reductions from forests to be traded as carbon credits. If successful, Indonesia could potentially earn over $13 billion by protecting its forests. Kalla emphasized that all nations should take responsibility for the exploitation of Indonesian timber by wealthier countries.