Country Profile
From The Report: Indonesia 2015
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With the July 2014 election of a new president, Joko Widodo, a new mood of confidence and optimism is palpable in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy and most populous Muslim-majority nation. Hopes are high that a new dynamism in Jakarta will see many long-standing challenges addressed. At the same time, the country’s economic expansion is continuing apace, with a large, young population that is eager to take Indonesia to the next level of development.

This chapter features interviews with President Joko Widodo and Vice-President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla; and a viewpoint from Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Ambitious development plans in the works in Indonesia after the 2014 election
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While the Republic of Indonesia is less than seven decades old in its current form, the South-east Asian nation of more than 17,500 islands has had a much longer history under other names. In fact, the name “Indonesia” was first used in 1850 by British anthropologist James Richardson Logan when he referred to the extensive group of islands widely known at the time as the Indian or Malay Archipelago. History Archaeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of modern humans lived on the archipelago…

Overview

Hope for reform in Indonesia
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With the July 2014 election of a new president, Joko Widodo, a new mood of confidence and optimism is palpable in Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy and most populous majority-Muslim nation. Hopes are high that a new dynamism in Jakarta will see many long-standing challenges addressed. At the same time, the country’s economic expansion is continuing apace, with a large, young population that is eager to take Indonesia to the next level of development. The new government is well aware…

Interview

President Joko Widodo: Interview
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Interview:President Joko Widodo How will the new administration address investor concerns and improve the investment climate? PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO: Indonesia is a country open to investors. We are working hard to fix the issues that have traditionally kept investments away, and we want to convey the message that we are doing everything we can to improve the investment climate in the country. We are working hard to reform our bureaucracy, our institutions and the human resources involved.…

Interview

Vice-President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla: Interview
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Interview:Vice-President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla Investment procedures will be streamlined under this administration. How can better coordination among new ministers be achieved to this end? VICE-PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD JUSUF KALLA: Our government includes members from a range of different backgrounds, including the public sector, academia and business. The diversity of our team will help bring a balanced view to the government’s fundamental tasks of budget allocation and public policy. This year…

Analysis

Indonesia moves forward with ASEAN integration
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As the dominant political and economic power in the ASEAN bloc, Indonesia’s participation in the ASEAN Economic Community’s (AEC) planned integration this year will have significant ramifications for domestic growth, trade flows and immigration. Although AEC integrations is expected to significantly bolster the region’s attractiveness to foreign investment, simultaneously reducing non-trade barriers and improving the flow of goods and services, the process has not been without challenges. For…

Viewpoint

Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, on international cooperation
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Since ancient times, Asia and Africa have given birth to, and spread throughout the rest of the world, a variety of ideas and religions. The spirit of generosity, one that cherishes diversity among us, is an important common asset we should be proud of. In keeping with this same spirit, it was our friends in Asia and Africa who propelled Japan after the Second World War to make possible our re-entry into the international community. History made it inevitable for those countries gathered here three…