Indonesia’s Plan to Be the Next Singapore or Dubai: Ambition, Meet Reality
Indonesia’s 2045 dream is bold. But with poor infrastructure and lagging education, can it really reach global elite status?
Indonesia has a grand plan: by 2045, we’re not just joining the big leagues, we’re going straight to the VIP lounge with Singapore and Dubai. Yep, the policymakers have brewed themselves a strong cup of optimism, mixed it with a pinch of audacity, and decided we’ll leapfrog decades of corruption, inequality, and infrastructure held together with duct tape.
This big idea, the "Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision," reads like a script for the next Hollywood blockbuster: a $7.3 trillion economy, cities shimmering with ambition, and a narrative so bold it might even distract us from today’s potholes and traffic gridlocks. But before we pack our bags for Nusantara, let’s hit pause.
Ambition is lovely. It’s what made humans climb Everest, build cathedrals, and develop food delivery apps for people too tired to microwave leftovers. But there’s a thin line between dreaming big and demanding the world freeze while we play catch-up. The world won’t.
Leapfrogging Into Greatness: The Plan Is Flawless, Except for Reality
Indonesia doesn’t do baby steps. Why should we? While other nations inch forward in cautious increments, we’re over here ready to leapfrog right into the future. Forget Malaysia and Vietnam, with their orderly manufacturing sectors and annoyingly stable infrastructure. Why waste time competing with regional peers when we can aim straight for the A-listers like South Korea and Canada? We’re nothing if not ambitious.
The crown jewel of this vision? Nusantara, a $35 billion utopia carved out of the rainforests of Kalimantan. Nusantara promises to solve Jakarta’s infamous traffic woes, end overcrowding, and sprinkle a little magic dust on regional development.
Yet, the entire plan hinges on an unspoken assumption that the rest of the world will just hit the pause button. As if Singapore, Dubai, and the rest of the global movers and shakers are waiting in line while Indonesia sprints ahead. Hate to break it to you, but Singapore isn’t holding its breath; it’s busy perfecting AI to predict what flavor of bubble tea you’ll crave tomorrow. Meanwhile, Dubai’s probably blueprinting a hotel on Mars.
Nusantara, on the other hand, is still deciding whether it will have a reliable water supply. So while we’re reaching for the stars, the stars are already booking luxury stays in hotels we haven’t even thought to build yet. Leapfrogging is great in theory, but maybe we should check if the pole vault is sturdy first.
The Competition Isn’t Just Dubai, It’s Everybody
When you set your sights on greatness, it’s not enough to simply aim high, you also have to out-climb everyone else scrambling up the ladder. And in Indonesia’s case, the competition isn’t just the Dubais and Singapores of the world; it’s pretty much anyone with a national flag and an internet connection.
Take Malaysia, for instance. Their infrastructure is so far ahead. They’ve got smooth roads and airports that don’t double as chaos simulators. Vietnam has become a global manufacturing darling, churning out everything from electronics to clothing faster than we can say supply chain. And then there’s the Philippines, which has carved out its niche as the call center to the world, dominating the BPO market with an efficiency that puts our aspirations to shame.
But let’s not stop there. To reach the heights of “Golden Indonesia,” we’re not just trying to outrun our neighbors; we’re expected to zip past the likes of Canada and South Korea. You know, countries with enviable healthcare systems, and where nobody has to slip an envelope under the table to get their paperwork processed.
And yet, here we are, still searching for our secret weapon. Is it our natural resources? Sure, we’ve got plenty, but so do many nations still stuck in the “potential” phase of development. And guess what? Having oil or minerals hasn’t magically catapulted them to the top of the global food chain either.
The truth is, leapfrogging isn’t an economic strategy. It’s a pipe dream. The competition isn’t waiting for us to get our act together. While we’re figuring out the logistics of the pole vault, they’re already hosting the medal ceremony.
Infrastructure and Education: The Bridge We’re Supposed to Cross Before Building Skyscrapers
Indonesia’s infrastructure plans are nothing short of epic. Take Jakarta’s MRT. It finally arrived, fashionably late, after years of planning, budgeting, and absurd delays. Now imagine replicating that process across an entire nation of 17,000 islands by 2045. Optimistic? Sure. Realistic? Less so.
Meanwhile, over in the education sector, things aren’t exactly moving at lightning speed either. Singapore and Dubai didn’t achieve their futuristic glory by accident; they poured money and effort into education systems that churn out engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Indonesia, however, is still struggling to supply enough desks and chairs for its students. Forget advanced STEM programs; in some places, having a functioning chalkboard is considered a win.
Of course, who needs solid education when you’ve got raw ambition? Let’s just assume our kids will magically absorb AI, biotechnology, and sustainable urban planning skills through osmosis while figuring out which flooded street is the fastest route home.
A poorly educated workforce doesn’t build shiny skyscrapers and world-class cities. It builds half of them and hopes someone else will finish the job. Infrastructure, much like education, isn’t a glamorous headline-grabber. But it’s the unsexy foundation upon which every “Golden Vision” must stand.
If Indonesia wants to be the next Singapore or Dubai, it might want to fix its literal and metaphorical bridges first. Because right now, we’re trying to build a spaceship while everyone else is flying by in their Teslas.
The Moving Target: Singapore and Dubai Aren’t Waiting for Us
The most charmingly naïve part of Indonesia’s "Golden Vision" is the implicit assumption that Singapore and Dubai will graciously pause their progress while we get our act together. As if these global powerhouses, known for their relentless innovation and obsessive future-proofing, would shrug and say, "Let’s give Indonesia a chance to catch up." They won’t. The global economy isn’t a charity bake sale.
Take Singapore. They’re already into green technologies, AI innovation, and advanced infrastructure. By 2045, Singaporeans will probably be teleporting to work, while over in Nusantara, we’ll still be debating how to keep monkeys from raiding trash bins and whether the sewage system actually connects to anything.
And then there’s Dubai. Reinvention is their middle name. If they’re not hosting the Intergalactic Olympics by 2045, they’ll be unveiling plans for a Mars hotel chain with 15-star ratings. Dubai manufactures the future and sells it to the world with a holographic brochure.
The targets Indonesia is striving to hit today are already yesterday’s news for Singapore and Dubai. By the time we lay the last brick of our utopian vision, they’ll have moved the goalposts to a new dimension entirely.
And it’s not just them. South Korea, Japan, and Germany are also cruising at warp speed. These aren’t countries you casually overtake by announcing a vision; they’ve built systems and cultures of excellence that don’t falter.
So unless Indonesia plans to develop time travel, we might want to focus less on chasing others and more on building a foundation strong enough to sustain our own aspirations.
Dreaming big isn’t the issue. We love a good underdog story as much as the next nation. But ambition without realism is like promising to bake a soufflé without knowing how to crack an egg. Greatness isn’t about lofty slogans or glossy presentations; it’s about the gritty, unsexy work of fixing what’s broken. Governance reform, infrastructure that doesn’t collapse after a heavy rain, and an education system that prepares the future generation are the building blocks of progress.
Instead of trying to be the next Singapore or Dubai, Indonesia should focus on being, well, Indonesia... but better. Addressing inequalities, rooting out corruption, and investing in human capital isn’t as Instagrammable as a shiny skyline, but it’s the kind of progress that doesn’t topple over the first time someone leans on it.
Without a clear plan and a healthy dose of self-awareness, ambition is just wishful thinking with good PR. So, let’s hold off on the karaoke renditions of Freddie Mercury anthems until we’ve got the basics nailed.
At StratEx - Indonesia Business Advisory we advise organizations scaling in Indonesia on how to prepare, lead, and grow in line with the nation’s ambition. Contact us to understand the real risks, and real opportunities.