Time to move on structural reforms

Robert Blake
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PREMIUM

Jakarta / Thu, April 18, 2019 / 11:05 am

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo greets his supporters after speaking to the press at the Djakarta Theater in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. Early counts showed the former Surakarta mayor had won his reelection bid. (The Jakarta Post/Seto Wardhana)

Now that the Indonesian people have re-elected President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, according to the quick counts, Indonesia has an important opportunity to take steps that will propel growth, further diversify the economy and prepare its youthful population to compete successfully in a world where technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things will drive competitiveness. Jokowi and his team made commendable progress in their first five years. The poverty rate has dropped to less than 10 percent. A light regulatory touch helped propel the world’s fastest growing digital economy, with Go-Jek becoming Southeast Asia’s second decacorn, and Tokopedia, Traveloka and Bukalapak not far behind. Tourist arrivals jumped from 9 million in 2014 to a projected 14 million last year. Growth remained above 5 percent despite many global headwinds, thanks ...