Indonesia Is An Epitome Of Political Stability
Salleh Said
1. Congratulations to Indonesian President Joko Widodo who was sworn in today (Sunday) for a second five-year term as leader of the world’s third-biggest democracy after a first term marked by heavy infrastructure spending.
2. President Widodo has pledged to cut red tape and to keep building infrastructure to fuel growth in South East Asia’s largest economy. He also made improving education a top priority to encourage investment and to create jobs for a youthful population of 260 million people.
3. “This will be a big problem if we fail to create enough job opportunities,” Widodo told parliament after his inauguration, where he highlighted his dream of Indonesia becoming one of the world’s top five economies by 2045 with a GDP worth US$7 trillion.
4. This is what the UK government says about Indonesia: “Indonesia is a role model for a successful political transition. Indonesia is stable politically and a comprehensive push for decentralisation has seen much power transferred to the regions.”
5. This is what the World Bank, in turn, says about Indonesia: “Despite heightened global uncertainty, Indonesia’s economic outlook continues to be positive, with domestic demand being the main driver of growth. Supported by robust investment, stable inflation, and a strong job market, Indonesia’s economic growth is forecast to reach 5.2% in 2019.”
