http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/editorials/editorial-going-the-right-way-but-hurdles-ahead/445921
Editorial: Going the Right Way, But Hurdles Ahead June 09, 2011 Statistics can say much about a country and an economy but they can also hide some obvious truths. This is very much the case with the first competitiveness report on Indonesia released by the World Economic Forum. According to the report, Indonesia has made considerable headway. Indonesia is now ranked 44th out of 139 countries on the Global Competitiveness Index, a jump of 10 places since 2005, the strongest progress among the Group of 20 leading economies. The report said that Indonesia now compares favorably with the BRICS, with the notable exception of China (27th). It is doing better than India (51st), South Africa (54th), Brazil (59th) and Russia (63rd), and sits around the middle of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states. Singapore (3rd) and Malaysia (26th) are out in front, but Indonesia is far ahead of the Philippines (85th) and Cambodia (109th), and close to Thailand and Vietnam, which are ranked 38th and 59th respectively. This is very encouraging. It shows that when the country sets its mind to it, much can be achieved. The numbers speak volumes for the progress made over the past few years. The wind is clearly behind Indonesia's sails. Depending on what the country does in the next few years, it is on a trajectory to reach greater heights. As the report points out, there is still a lot of work to be done in public health, information technology, infrastructure and the fight against corruption. This is where the challenge lies, as it will involve implementing the right policies. It requires long-term strategies and taking a 30-year view on the country's direction. The government will need to offer incentives to promote strategic industries and empower the private sector. The commitment from the government to fix the country's weaknesses is clear. Hatta Rajasa, coordinating minister for the economy, promised that the government would improve infrastructure development and beef up its efforts to fight corruption, which has hampered foreign investment and economic growth. These challenges are not insurmountable. With political will and commitment, Indonesia can rightfully take its place among the great nations of the world. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
