Hi readers. I want to thank you all for supporting the early days of Indonesia Policy News. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be making some exciting changes to the newsletter. If you are enjoying what you are reading, please encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up.
I’ve got lots of new subscribers and I wanted to do a brief overview of my most popular posts since I began this publication in March this year.
The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP)
The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi is focused on nickel smelting and stainless steel production. It’s so large, it has its own 5-star hotel and dedicated infrastructure to support its operations including an airport, ore barge wharves, and a seaport fully equipped with gantry cranes.
This post was a lot of fun to write and has been the most popular post so far. What I like about it is the story its development tells about a controversial government policy. The IMIP is a testament to how powerful policy can be, and how industry can adapt to abrupt policy changes.
Read the full post.
Visualising Indonesia’s infrastructure gaps
When we talk about Indonesia’s infrastructure deficit, we throw around a lot of numbers. The World Bank said in 2017 that it needed $500 billion in 5 years to close the gap. But what is Jokowi’s infrastructure push achieving? If China and Japan are pumping money into Indonesian infrastructure, where is it going, and what kind of projects is the money going to? These questions pushed me to put together this map in 2019 to help me get closer to answering these questions.
Read the full post.
The competition for foreign investment in the Indo-Pacific
Indonesia is competing with other countries in the region for much-needed foreign investment. This competition is muddy as the region grapples with Covid-19, political instability, and business trends such as the ‘China Plus One’ strategy. Indonesia’s ability to compete will depend on how its policies stack up to those of its neighbours: Vietnam, India, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Read more.
Healthcare infrastructure
Indonesia’s healthcare system is under unprecedented pressure and even before the pandemic, it needed significant investment in this sector. Indonesia needs to spend a minimum of $10.2 billion a year for the next ten years on healthcare infrastructure to reach adequate coverage. Another problem Indonesia needs to solve is the shortage of doctors and other professional medical staff.
Read the full post.
Natural disasters highlight the need for cooperation (an interview)
In this post, I interviewed Prof Bruce Robinson from the University of Western Australia. A medical doctor and award-winning cancer researcher, Bruce volunteered as a relief worker in Indonesia after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and the Sulawesi Tsunami in 2018. I also discuss how emergency cooperation between groups of countries can lead to the kind of deeper, enduring international partnerships that we need to solve the problems our world is facing.
Read the full post.
Word of mouth
That’s how this newsletter grows. Thank you for sharing my posts and spreading the word. I want to continue to deliver interesting, though-provoking content that helps you understand where Indonesia is headed. Your support is what sustains me. Terima kasih!