Yudhoyono Must Think Big to Succeed

Jakarta Globe, Editorial, February 03, 2010

China plans for more than 20 years ahead, and Indonesia must do so too. (Bloomberg Photo/Kevin Lee)

After two days of intensive meetings with his full cabinet and governors in Cipanas, West Java, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared that his government had achieved 90 percent of the targets he had set at the outset of his second term. On the surface that is indeed a remarkable accomplishment.

The president outlined six specific issues that he said were very important to expedite development, particularly in rural areas. These include the spatial structure of land and licensing, distribution of food and maintaining price stability. He also noted that increasing energy supply, especially electricity, remained an important goal for his administration.

The other major targets are public works infrastructure and transportation, as well as continuing bureaucratic reforms and enforcing the rule of law. These measures are all laudable and urgently needed to boost economic growth and foster more sustainable development. There is little doubt that under Yudhoyono’s leadership, Indonesia has taken great strides toward long-term progress.

The president also acknowledged that, in many areas, serious bottlenecks continued to hamper growth and progress, holding back the 10,000-megawatt project and a host of other major infrastructure programs.

The Trans Java highway remains incomplete as well as a mass rapid transit system for Jakarta. We can only hope that these projects are completed in the near future.

Indonesia, for example, only has 700 kilometers of highways and roads, compared to Malaysia’s 15,000 km and China’s 60,000 km of toll roads. Clearly more effort needs to be channeled into these projects if the country is to accelerate growth and development. The Trans Java highway is of particular importance as more than 70 percent of the country’s GDP is derived from North Java. More toll roads also need to be built on major islands such as Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

While the 100-day program is a useful barometer of the government’s effectiveness, Yudhoyono needs to think and plan on a much larger scale. He has a strong public mandate and he should use it to propel growth. The president must also think big if he is to set the tone and direction for the next five years.

Instead of responding to day-to-day issues, the president needs to inspire the country to a higher level. He must plan for the next five years and beyond. This will not be easy but it is essential for the country to progress to the next level of development. Yudhoyono must adopt a sustainable development model that will set the country on the path of long-term growth.

In essence, he must think and plan beyond his term in office. China plans for more than 20 years ahead and the United States did the same under the New Deal, which paved the way for the country’s explosive growth and innovation. Indonesia must follow suit if the country is to maximize its potential and become a member of the developed world.