ASIA
on robust reform to generate 10 percent growth and four times the number of ‘ good ’ new jobs .
Peter Fagan has been in and out of Indonesia for the past 20 years and is now Vice President of Southeast Asia Operations for Hill International , experts in identifying , managing and mitigating large infrastructure projects across the world . Responsible for scoping out opportunities in the country , he has spoken to a tremendous number of people in public and private enterprise , and agrees that today could mark a watershed moment .
“ Yes , I do think this is a once in a century opportunity ,” Fagan said . “ There are more than 20 million under or unemployed workers with a strong entrepreneurial spirit , partly born by necessity as there is no social safety net system in Indonesia .”
Constructing cost effective business Shifting under or unemployed workers from generally unproductive agricultural and informal trades to more productive manufacturing jobs has been identified as key to awakening the sleeping giant . Reducing the cost of labour to manufacturing firms while increasing the incomes of workers may appear contradictory , but this is where a drastic need for infrastructure arises .
Fagan explained : “ The cost of doing business in Indonesia is relatively high and it is not because of high salaries . It is because of poor infrastructure and the cost of the time it takes for things to move .
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