What Sri Mulyani Said about World Bank after Meeting SBY

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The World Bank wants close cooperation with Indonesia as one of the middle income group countries that can be an example of good economic management to low-income countries.

World Bank Managing Director Sri Mulyani praised Indonesia’s role as one of the middle-income countries that have managed to maintain growth and economic performance in the midst of the financial crisis that has hit the Euro zone.

Sri Mulyani made the statement here Tuesday after meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Office.

"The role of middle income countries it is now becoming increasingly important and the World Bank as a development and knowledgeable bank wants a partnership whereby the success of middle income countries is immediately transmitted to low-income countries," she said.

"In that way other middle-income countries can accelerate and improve their economic and social improvement performance," said Sri Mulyani.

The role of middle-income countries had increased in importance as could be seen from the 2008 global financial crisis when they were able to ride out the world economic turmoil with good financial performance and maintain growth.

Their role would be increasingly important and grow resulting eventually in their ability to influence international debates to formulate a global policy framework. Sri Mulyani said that the World Bank wants cooperation with Indonesia as a country that emulated the performance of the economy.

"Of course there will be more of Indonesian development challenges ahead, but it does not diminish Indonesia’s achievements in creating growth, growth improvement and welfare equality," she said.

According to Sri Mulyani, Indonesia can be a lesson for other countries in managing macroeconomic policies, healthy budget from the state revenue and the quality of government spending, as well as infrastructure development and creation of economic equality strategy.

These issues in which Indonesia could play a positive role at the international level and at the same time solve national problems and improve its growth quality, said the former Indonesian finance minister who resigned from the United Indonesia Cabinet II in 2010.