Indonesia’s Government has been increasingly robust in its attitude to attract foreign investments over the past decade. The country has been steadily rising in its ease-of-doing-business rankings in recent years as a result of changes to the country’s infamous unending and unrelenting bureaucracy which has now been better streamlined and digitised.

There have also been calls from the business community for more public-private partnerships, particularly in the digital sector where regulatory framework and innovation may not always be synchronised. The Government’s restructuring of its state-owned enterprises may thus be seen as an indication in realising its statement, though a clear direction has yet to be established. Nevertheless, the digital economy remains poised to be country’s saving grace amidst the recession and the digital economy is expected to grow at a substantial rate moving forward, in particular during the “new normal era” and it is still expected to grow beyond that.

Historically, natural resources have always been central to Indonesia’s economy, and given the current changes to the global sentiment on environmental practices, the Government have adjusted its practices and aims to develop other capabilities in both conventional industries and innovative technologies, with a particular focus on becoming a major manufacturing hub. Whilst it’s still a ‘new day’, the sheer potential of business opportunities in Indonesia cannot be ignored, and it is simply a matter of acquainting oneself to what may be Indonesia’s entry into a new era in its desire to be an economic power in Asia.