Comment l’Indonésie a-t-elle créé le
miracle ?
As the world today evokes the "Asian
Century," Indonesia has become one of its most prominent symbols.
A country spanning more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia
was perceived for decades as a developing nation, burdened by corruption and
divisions. In two decades, it has become an emerging economic power within the
G20 and one of Asia's most dynamic markets.
Indonesia's rise is no accident. Rather, it is the
result of profound reforms and a strategic vision aimed at transforming its
geographic and demographic diversity into strength.
How did Jakarta successfully transition from a
fragile, commodity-dependent economy to a diversified one, a leader in digital
technology and green energy? What internal and external factors enabled these
scattered islands to transform into an integrated global market?
The Beginnings of Growth
Since its independence in 1945, Indonesia has suffered
from serious structural problems, such as administrative corruption, weak
infrastructure, wealth disparities between the main islands (Java, Sumatra, and
Bali) and remote regions, and an overdependence on the export of raw materials
such as oil, coal, and palm oil.
Under the Suharto era (1966–1998), the regime focused
on top-down growth, relying on natural resources and foreign investment.
However, corruption and cronyism hampered productivity, and the 1997 Asian
financial crisis exposed the fragility of the economic structure.
The fall of Suharto marked the beginning of a historic
turning point: the country moved toward political openness, opted for a
decentralized system, and adopted economic reforms that made the Indonesian economy
more transparent and competitive.
Beginning in 2000, Indonesia embarked on a structural
transformation, deepening economic and financial reforms, with a focus on
economic liberalization, investment facilitation, revenue diversification,
improved governance, and combating corruption.
After decades of stifling centralization, Indonesia
adopted the Village Law in 2014, which decentralized resources and
decision-making to local communities. Approximately 10% of the national budget
was allocated in the form of direct grants deposited into village accounts,
with the funds being spent locally on road networks, productive projects, and
social services.
This law gave rise to the Village Financing Policy
(Dana Desa), which transformed the country's development. Between 2015 and
2024, more than 600 trillion rupiah was injected into villages, benefiting over
80,000 of them.
In less than a decade, more than 260,000 kilometers of
rural roads and thousands of bridges were built, and the number of rural poor
was reduced by 2.6 million. The village was no longer a unit subordinate to the
capital, but an independent decision-making center, with its own budget and its
own voice.
These indicators created a new climate conducive to
real, comprehensive development. Rather, they illustrated the characteristics
of a profound economic transformation in Indonesia. The renaissance began in
the village, not the palace, and villages became engines of production
connected to the global market.
To implement all this, the Indonesian Investment
Coordinating Board was created to simplify procedures for investors, and taxes
were gradually reduced to attract multinationals. Laws were also amended to
encourage public-private partnerships in the transport and energy sectors.
A key factor in the country's success was the transfer
of budgetary and administrative powers from Jakarta to local governments.
Despite the risks it presented, this measure accelerated the development of the
regions and transformed remote and marginalized islands into new poles of
growth.
Political reforms have also made Indonesia a
relatively stable democracy in a turbulent environment. This has allowed it to
reconcile its religious and ethnic diversity through a moderate constitution,
while preserving a unified national identity based on the motto: "Unity in
Diversity."
All of these reforms, which have been intensified,
have undoubtedly contributed significantly to strengthening investor confidence
and the country's renaissance.
Integrated Island Economy
Indonesia's transformation is unique in that it has
not relied on a "monocentric" model, but rather on a networked island
economy. Each island has its own unique strengths and characteristics that
contribute to the country's development. Java has become an industrial and
technological center, while Sumatra specializes in energy and agriculture,
Kalimantan in mining and oil, Sulawesi in nickel and strategic minerals, and
Bali excels in tourism and digital services. The number of visitors exceeded 16
million per year before the pandemic, with the ambition of reaching 25 million
by 2030.
By connecting these islands through modern
transportation networks and ports, Jakarta has created an integrated economic
system, similar to an "internal supply chain" that feeds off each
other, reducing dependence on external resources.
Indonesia is now the largest digital economy in
Southeast Asia, with annual e-commerce volume exceeding $1 billion, thanks to
local companies such as Tocopedia and Gojek Bukalapak. These companies have not
only introduced the network economy model to the local market but also created
millions of jobs for young talent.
In manufacturing, Indonesia no longer simply exports
its raw materials; it now manufactures them locally. It is now the world's
leading producer of nickel, a key component of electric vehicle batteries, and
is seeking to build an integrated production chain, from mining to
manufacturing, in collaboration with South Korea and China. Indonesia is
investing to become a global hub for battery production and clean energy.
All this has contributed to making Indonesia a global
market, not only due to its geographical location or population (over 280
million), but also thanks to the adoption of a new philosophy. Indonesian
companies not only meet domestic demand but also export to Asia, Europe, and
Africa.
Jakarta has also become a regional financial center
thanks to banking reforms and the launch of the "digital rupiah"
project to promote electronic payments.
The country has also made investment in human capital
a pillar of its growth. It has established technical universities and training
centers in all regions. To meet the needs of the industrial market, the "1,000
National Engineers per Year" initiative was launched with the support of
the private sector.
Foreign Policy: Neutrality and Efficiency
Indonesia has adopted a foreign policy based on
"effective independence," maintaining its neutrality from major powers
while maximizing its gains. A trading partner of China, a major investor in the
United States, an active member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations), and a member of the G20, Indonesia is a member of the G20.
This balance has allowed it to attract investment
without fully aligning itself with any one axis. It has also played an
important role in defending the interests of developing countries within the
World Trade Organization, thus strengthening its international position.
Tourism and the Vulnerability of the Poor
Tourism has increased income on islands like Bali, but
it has also created a fragile and foreign-dependent economy and led to
significant social disintegration. Behind the luxury resorts lies a class of
poor workers who work in the tourism industry for low wages.
Indonesia and the Battle for Independence
In the 1990s, the Indonesian currency collapsed, and
Western financial institutions imposed austerity measures on the country,
including privatizations, subsidy cuts, and the opening of the market to
foreign companies. This measure temporarily devastated the economy and
triggered unrest that ousted Suharto from power.
Mais cette
amère expérience a laissé une leçon profonde : la véritable indépendance
ne réside pas dans la simple exaltation des symboles souverains, mais dans la
capacité à tracer une voie économique sans se soumettre aux diktats
occidentaux.
Aujourd'hui
encore, les entreprises occidentales continuent de tenter de dominer les
richesses des îles, des mines de nickel et de cobalt aux palmiers produisant du
pétrole alimentant les usines européennes.
Cependant,
le gouvernement mène d'âpres négociations pour transformer ces ressources en
valeur locale. L'exportation de nickel brut a été interrompue en 2020, et les
entreprises ont été contraintes de construire des usines dans le pays. En
conséquence, les revenus du secteur ont doublé et Jakarta a commencé à imposer
ses conditions au monde entier.
En
conclusion,
le succès de
l'Indonésie n'est pas dû au hasard. Il s'agit plutôt d'une décision consciente
selon laquelle le véritable développement part de la base et que la libération
ne se mesure pas uniquement par l'indépendance politique, mais aussi par
l'indépendance de pensée, de finance et de production.
Le pays a
réussi à transformer sa géographie fragmentée en un réseau économique cohérent
reliant l'Asie, l'Océanie, le monde arabe et l'Afrique.
Si
l'Indonésie suit la même voie de réforme, elle pourrait se hisser d'ici deux
décennies parmi les dix premières économies mondiales. C'est l'histoire d'un
pays qui nous a appris que la situation géographique ne détermine pas le
destin, mais plutôt la vision, la volonté et la capacité à transformer les
frontières naturelles en passerelles d'opportunités.
Lorsque les
villages possèdent leurs propres ressources, ils créent leurs propres solutions
et participent à façonner leur propre destin, et le développement devient
organique, et non superficiel.
But this bitter experience left a profound lesson:
true independence lies not in the simple exaltation of sovereign symbols, but
in the ability to chart an economic course without submitting to Western
dictates.
Even today, Western companies continue to attempt to
dominate the islands' riches, from nickel and cobalt mines to palm trees
producing oil that fuels European factories.
However, the government is conducting tough
negotiations to transform these resources into local value. The export of raw
nickel was halted in 2020, and companies were forced to build factories in the
country. As a result, revenues from the sector doubled, and Jakarta began to
impose its terms on the world.
In conclusion,
Indonesia's success is no accident. Rather, it is a
conscious decision that true development starts from the bottom up and that
liberation is measured not only by political independence, but also by
independence of thought, finance, and production.
The country has successfully transformed its
fragmented geography into a coherent economic network connecting Asia, Oceania,
the Arab world, and Africa.
If Indonesia follows the same path of reform, it could
become one of the world's top ten economies within two decades. This is the
story of a country that has taught us that location does not determine destiny,
but rather vision, will, and the ability to transform natural boundaries into
gateways of opportunity.
When villages own their own resources, they create
their own solutions and help shape their own destiny, and development becomes
organic, not superficial.