Published at the KADIN - BSD Bulletin 12/2012
“Washington D.C. – The IMF – Director announced today the new member countries of G10 for the coming year. In addition, the founding countries Indonesia as well as South Korea have been nominated to take part in the G10 round as of January 1, 2026. The nomination of both countries was already expected by analysts as far as both have been part of the so-called SMIT-Group. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo expressed his gratitude to the IMF and to his fellow citizens, which so he said: “did their best efforts to reach the goals defined in the MP3EI” to become a member of the G10. Indonesia has currently a GDP Growth of 8,5% and has passed China and India in the year 2019 by its growth rates."
This is currently fiction; however if you look at Indonesia at present and if you know about the potential of this country you may consider that the paragraph above may become reality. Indonesia is definitely one of the most promising markets in the Asia – Pacific Region and a country of superlatives. Fourth biggest country in the world by its population, more than 17,000 islands, big-gest producer of palm oil, 60,000 medium sized enterprises, 41 million small economic units, 240 million people, 5.700 km archipelago, three different time zones and so on. Most of these impressive facts have been written already a thousand times.
But what has not been written is why it is really a good idea to do business in Indonesia. Of course you may say that the country is having constant GDP growth over the past years, a stable democratic system, endless seeming natural and human resources. On the other hand, you may say that the country is having problems such as corruption, bad infrastructure, natural disasters, uncertainty in legislation and a few more. But every market has its shiny sides and dark abyss. Looking for opportunities and taking risk is daily bread for businessmen and if we do not take any risk we will never experience the chances to enter a new market.
The reasons to do business in Indonesia are infinite and it is every one’s own choice to do it or not. I have met many businessman who asked why I am doing business in and with Indonesia. They have asked me about how I deal with all those bad things they have heard. They want to know if we make good and stable profits with that business and they want to hear how long I will continue. And, that is already the question I was waiting for. I will continue business with Indonesia for the rest of my life. If it is running well or not, if I fail with one idea or succeed with another, if I have to deal with corruption issues or interfering laws. It all does not matter because the reason to make business in Indonesia is that once you catch fire and understand the country you will never give up to develop something there.
Every time I drive through an Indonesian city or village I discover some hundred ideas of doing business, and this not only in Indonesia but, anywhere else in the world. I have seen so many Indonesians having good ideas earning their money and making their living that I am impressed by the creativity which only has to be re-covered, shaped and transferred into realistic and practical ideas.
If Indonesia understands that the creativity of 240 million people are the most valuable resource of a country and is able to give people the chance to live out this creativity the future will be prosperous and the 2025 – target is realistic. Together with the support of foreign investors these resources can be channeled into the right direction to the benefit of all participants.