Indonesia, with 250 million inhabitants, is fast becoming an economic power

I moved to Bali from the UK, when I left the UK I had all my material possessions shipped to Bali where I will be living. Indonesia has had a particular affection for me for many years, as I have regularly worked and lived here for 16 years, so moving to Bali was no big deal.

Last week I had to travel to Jakarta to pass my relevant authenticity documents to the receiving shippers so they can process my shipment from the UK through their customs. During this trip I flew to Jakarta from Bali on the first available flight which arrived at T3 at approximately 10:15 Jakarta time. At that moment I was received at the airport by an employee of the shipping company, he relieved me of all my documents. After which I found a cozy place and waited for several hours for his return. On this occasion, I did not need to travel to central Jakarta, as I had spent most of the last 16 years in and out of this city, as well as living here for 6 months this year.

In my term here in Jakarta, I have seen this city transform into a sophisticated metropolis with many skyscrapers now adorning the skyline. In 1995, when I first came here, the city was becoming a modern city. It is now packed with all the facilities you would expect from a country of some 250 million people in a modern and enlightened place. The Jakarta of today is a far cry from the Jakarta of some 20 years ago, now it is a pleasure to visit, although back then it had a particular uniqueness, but living here must have been a different story.

I must point out that this country has lagged a bit behind the other Southeast Asian countries insofar as the development phase has taken longer to take hold here in Indonesia than in other Southeast Asian countries. Perhaps this is due to the presidential reign of Suharto, who kept tight control over this country for 32 years and only liberated it during the riots of 1998. After which, Indonesia has progressed along the path of true democracy giving rise to a important business. ism that you now see today. This creativity has developed and flourished under a very liberal regime, recently rated by a BBC poll as the country with the most accommodating policies towards entrepreneurship, allowing and encouraging many small businesses to flourish.

What I want to point out here is that Indonesia, with its 250 million people, is not a country to be ignored; in fact quite the opposite, it is a country to target as the market here is just beginning to reach a phase of maturity. . Oddly enough; your people are getting richer here and living standards are from a very low base and slowly rising and this is accelerating.

So with all the financial problems in the western world and all the products developed in the west with little chance of a domestic market, how long can western companies ignore this part of the world?

To recap on history this is a country that until 1998 was directed and firmly controlled for 32 years by the Suharto family, I say family as it is said that the leader Mr Suharto who used only one name of his family, was very strongly driven by his wife from the rear and it is said that she was the true power so much so that after this untimely death a few years before Suharto’s demise of power she hastened her departure as her decisions carried less weight than those she made during her lifetime.

Suharto came to power during the 1960s communist insurgency that was spreading across Asia. By staunchly opposing Communism, he intensified its control over Southeast Asia and I suspect he became a staunch friend of the West, as he was able to secure the sea lanes around this vast part of the world. However, he also suspects that when the Iron Curtain fell, great power support across the oceans dwindled, making his position as supreme leader over a somewhat brutal and corrupt authoritarian regime untenable. He thus freeing Indonesia from an oppressive regime, giving rise to democracy and securing investment opportunities. As a geography lesson, if you took Indonesia off the map and superimposed it on Europe, this country would stretch from London to Tehran, like an archipelago that is huge.

During my time in and out of Indonesia, I have seen as many changes experienced as you can imagine, but none as vibrant and exciting as the changes and opportunities that are unfolding today as this country evolves into a stable democracy. Ignoring developments here is sheer folly on the part of the dwindling fortunes of Western corporations.

In 1998, when democracy began through civil unrest that erupted from the campus of the various universities as the city of Jakarta began to fight back (I guess a form of Arab Spring that predates the Middle East). Ironically, while the event was taking place here in Jakarta, Suharto was on an official trip to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Since then, untold riches have passed to workers who have prepared to invest time, money, blood and sweat.

I started this article by talking about my trip here as it was inspired by the flight across the north coast of Java. As we got closer to Jakarta I could see a wide variety of tight rows of new houses, this was a big surprise but when I think of the growth here I am not at all surprised by this development.

The plane also landed at T3 which again was a very pleasant experience as this is a brand new terminal equipped with all the modern facilities one would expect for the waiting public. There are televisions with news, sports, etc., free WIFI and comfortable armchairs to hang out. Of course, many restaurants and cafes were available, so a long wait here was a pleasant stay.