Indonesia’s Resilience: The Next Driving Force in the East Asia and Pacific Region

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The World Bank’s latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update paints a nuanced picture of our region: one of resilience tempered by rising global uncertainty. While growth remains robust, challenges from trade fragmentation, climate risks, and aging populations threaten long-term development. Amid these complexities, I firmly believe Indonesia’s resilience will emerge as the next driving force for sustainable and inclusive growth—not only within ASEAN, but also on the global stage.

Why Indonesia? Because we are a nation of untapped potential.

Our strength lies not only in our geography or population, but in the abundance of strategic resources and cultural richness that are too often undervalued.

We possess vast renewable energy potential—from solar and geothermal to hydropower—positioning us to become a global leader in the green transition. Our reserves of rare earth metals and critical minerals, essential for the world’s shift to electric vehicles and digital infrastructure, remain largely undeveloped but hold massive strategic value.

Indonesia is also a natural protein superpower—from marine biodiversity to sustainable aquaculture, we can contribute significantly to future global food security.

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Then, there’s our tourism sector: not just beautiful, but powerful. The richness of our natural landscapes, the depth of our cultural roots, the complexity of our culinary traditions, and the revival of wellness practices rooted in centuries of heritage—all now supported by world-class hospitality infrastructure—make Indonesia an unparalleled destination.

But to realize this vision, we must act with clarity and urgency.

We must:

• Harness technology to modernize our industries while preserving our environment.
• Invest in human capital to ensure our demographic advantage becomes a productive force.
• Reform boldly, especially in the areas of ease of doing business, green investment, and tourism development.
• Lead regionally in building trust and cooperation, especially through ASEAN, RCEP, and other platforms.

Indonesia’s resilience is not accidental—it is built on diversity, unity, and a spirit of gotong royong. These values will be critical as we navigate global uncertainty. The time has come to channel our resilience into regional leadership.

As the World Bank urges policymakers to take a longer view, let us in Indonesia take a bold and forward-looking stance, not just to weather global storms, but to steer the winds of change.