Can Indonesia have potential to be a world powerhouse economically?

Explain your needs because this sounds like a homework question.

Define powerhouse.

It is already significant but could be replaced in a second by one of many countries when the GAP needs cheap children to make pants.

But a economic powerhouse able to dictate policy. Not close and that would take a while.

Don’t fret. Once Eastern Asia is to expensive for me to have 15 dollar pants Africa will have tons of jobs.

My best friend works for a government social agency there. Your question is far to vague to reply to.

They still are rather third world, allowing their resources to be plundered by foreign countries. These resources are primary sector, like palm oil, mining etc. They have a new president now and he is working hard to organise things that haven’t existed before, like less corruptible local governments. They don’t have enough schools or money for most girls to keep going to school after the 7th grade. School is not free there. They send their girls to larger cities to work and you can imagine how that ends up. 14 year old girls hundreds of miles away from their families. My friend was involved in some of the support systems that some NGOs were doing for these girls. The girls worked as housekeeper/nannies, mostly, for wealthy city dwellers. The girls were expected to send most of their pay home to their families so their brothers could keep going to school. My friend doesn’t remember anything like a police force like what you and I know. She said a family had to pay them to come attend to any matter. Corruption was built into everything. Historically, the local government men stole and skimmed and the city workers were paid a pittance and it was expected that they worked mostly for bribes and hand outs. But, like I said, things are changing now with the new president and I’m so proud of my friend for taking her Masters degree and going back to her home country and putting it to good use, finally.

I don’t think any of what I just wrote describes an emerging economic powerhouse, do you? They are trying to make education more affordable, by offering families a special allowance if they keep their children in school. Only some areas have any sort of health services and it usually in the form of a travelling doctor or nurse. Yes, ONE… just the one, that is paid to travel and check a very large region.

It will take a few generations for just the effects of their newly established local governments to find their feet and effect any lasting progress.