![An aerial shot of a downtown of a city at night](/sites/default/files/styles/vertical_slide_956x675/public/2024-08/Indonesia--The-Worlds-Best-Kept-Investment-Secret_Metadata.jpg?itok=REaWKVVx)
• Indonesia punches far above its income in opportunities for international investment. But the country aims far higher than it needs to achieve high-income status by 2045.
• Demographics: Indonesia’s working-age population is forecast to peak only when the oldest of Gen Z are no longer “working age.” A deeper goal is to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship, including the attraction of foreign talent.
• Trade and Investment: The 2020 Omnibus Law liberalized foreign ownership and simplified business licenses, while industrial policies are being rolled out for electric vehicles (EVs). But nickel alone will not make Indonesia rich.
• Infrastructure: Logistics costs as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) have nearly halved in a decade. Longer-term goals include developing services on top of facilities, reducing regional disparities, and investing in infrastructure for the digital era.
• Digitization: Indonesia’s digital economy is growing rapidly. In the longer term, locals need to be resilient to disruption, and the country needs to broaden its digital footprint to harness and localize artificial intelligence (AI).
• Sustainability: Blended finance, reforestation, renewables, and even air quality are making increasing strides, but carbon taxes should not be delayed any further.