Indonesia has the potential to become one of the largest economies in the world, although its growth story has often been overshadowed by China and India. Its progress since the Asian financial crisis in 1998 has included a peaceful transition to democratic elections and political stability that has underpinned the country’s rapid economic growth.
Bernard Tan, president commissioner of the Indonesian arm of DBS Bank, south-east Asia's largest financial group, compares the country's present state with the situation it was in during the crisis of the late 1990s. “If you had told me then what Indonesia would be like today, I would have called you a liar,” he says.
