Joko Widodo’s decade in power: Infrastructure, economic and welfare gains amid governance hurdles

[JAKARTA] When Joko Widodo was first elected president of Indonesia a decade ago, and then re-elected in 2019, his economic vision was clear: to develop infrastructure evenly across the country and attract foreign investment.

“If there’s one key takeaway (from his time in power)... it’s the impressive infrastructure build-out in Indonesia. It has significantly fuelled economic growth and attracted the interest of many multinational companies,” said Siantoro Goeyardi, Deutsche Bank’s chief country officer for Indonesia.

Over the past 10 years, Widodo, a 63-year-old former furniture salesman, has transformed Indonesia into a prime investment destination, capitalising on the country’s abundant natural resources – ranging from palm oil to nickel – and the strong consumption power of its 280 million citizens.