I

ndonesia in the 21st century is no longer categorized as a “Third World” country, but is now an oasis of political stability and rapid economic growth.

In the past, Indonesia may have been seen as an authoritarian state, but now it is recognized as the third-largest democracy in the world. Economic growth in Indonesia is one of the fastest in the world.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said the current global environment provided good prospects for the national economy, because it was able to maintain an economic growth rate of 6 percent.

Good economic conditions are due to the growth of the investment rate of 24 percent in 2012, which is a positive development in the middle of the crisis in Europe and the US.

That situation makes the world appreciate the performance of the Indonesian economy, including the international rating agency — Fitch Ratings — that provided a stable outlook. This gives rise to the optimism of analysts or rating agencies, which points to Indonesia remaining in a good position in 2013.

To that end, the government and Bank Indonesia (BI) must continue to maintain the stability of the national financial system, as well as convince the international community that Indonesia will achieve quality economic growth this year.

Indonesia is also a massive trading and emerging economy, with sustained growth expected to reach 7 percent and with a climate more attractive to investors.

Indonesia benefits from being in a strategic location of interest, with more than half the world’s trade passing close by it.

And of course the country is still a major player in ASEAN. Indonesia duly took the reins of leadership in the organization and has become an important factor in the stabilization of the region in the long term.

Global partners also consider cooperation with Indonesia to be very important in tackling climate change. Indonesia is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases and so has naturally become a partner in finding global solutions.

It’s time for Indonesia to play a significant role in the global political and economic arena. The factors above make it very clear that Indonesia has strong bargaining power.

It’s not impossible to envision a future where the map of economic power is completely headed by Indonesia, along with the likes of the US and China.

Yohanes Wawengkang
Depok, West Java