Govt Focused On Middle Class Growth: President

Jakarta, Aug 15 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government will concentrate more on the growth of middle class people in a bid to reduce poverty. The impact of middle class growth is effective in reducing poverty in the country, Yudhoyono said in a state of the nation address at a plenary session of the House of Representative here on Friday. He said the government, therefore, would facilitate development of small and medium scale enterprises. In addition, the government would build infrastructure and provide adequate educational and health case facilities, he said. "Currently Indonesia has the largest middle class people in number in Southeast Asia. According to one source, the number of people of middle class in Indonesia grows 8 million per year," he said. Therefore, the "positive" momentum should be maintained as globally, this 21st century would witness a big transformation and creative revolution driven by middle class, he said. He said the World Economic Forum in its 2014 meeting in the Philippines said Indonesia was "lucky" to have enjoyed a "golden decade" in the past decade. "It was not just a word of politeness. It was an objective evaluation by a independent and prestigious international agency," he said. Amid global instability, Indonesia is fortunate that it could enjoy political stability, peace, steady economic growth and social harmony, he said. He said the achievement is recorded and appreciated by the international community, increasing political position of Indonesia in international fora.