From Local to Regional: Measure the Readiness of Indonesia to

Integrate AEC 2015

Meiry Dintia Arini
Dimana bumi dipijak, Disitu langit dijunjung. This indonesian idiom is an
expression which is show society condition in modernity world. Author called the
society in modernity world as Modernist, whom modernist have to pass and follow
world advance arround them. People called it globalization, when time brings scientist
idea to the world and put a change on every big-little part of life. Nobody can deny it.
Once upon a time Modernist stands on one stage and world keep rounding. Even
rounding, they didnt realize that they not stand in the world that they stage first again.
As same as the earth, where the stage we stand on, if when we look up we also have to
uphold different sky. Nobody can deny it.
Globalization in the implementation give off many impacts. People whom realized
it then assume the world is like a running competition, race against time. Globalization
as the starter and modernist as the runners, the starter shouted his usual Author give
you 2 kinds of people in modern world, the bad one is who standing and dont do
anything, and the good one is keep running on their tracks. Standing and dont do
anything is out of place in this world whom out of this world. You are take a long
time spend for come to collage

if you walking, even you classmates are riding

motorcycle or car. It is just out of this world, isnt it?. Thats assumption only on micro
activity. Our focus is advance on macro, especially on economiy advance..
Macro Reforms
Have you ever heard Asean Economic Community guys? thats is being our
first conversation from my economy lecturer when we first meet on her lesson. All
students shouted Yes maam because Asean Economy Community is being other
lecturers topic before. As a student, i understand Asean Economic Community as an
opportunity and all at once as a challenge to every country in ASEAN.
Asean Community is formed to be hold the ASEAN integrity to face
international politic constalation. ASEAN knew full well of adapting on the way they

face and solve internal and eksternal problems, increse solidarity, cohesivity, and
effectivity of a coorporation. ASEAN is focus on economic corporation, and also
supported with political security coorporation, and social cultural coorporation. So
thats why the formed of ASEAN community 2015 is based on three pillars, which is
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC),
and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).1
Every country in ASEAN must be ready for this macro reforms, doest excepted
Indonesia, There has been a wide recognition in the need of economic on this country.
The question is, does Indonesia offer the reforms which are required? Or does
Indonesian also need to undergo the transformation? The answer of those question is
absolutely Yes. But how to make it become true, we must to pull our socks up for rise
to the occasion well.
Life Mainset
Asean Economic Community (AEC) is formed to be a role-economic integration
in ASEAN. An implementation from a hope to integrate economy in ASEAN counties
by make a single market and based together production. All members have to hold some
principles, such as open market, outward looking, and market drive econmy as a
multilateral principles.2 So, ASEAN will open for trade, investation, skill labor, and
capital. We can call them as free flow of trade, free flow of investation, free flow of skill
labor, free flow of capital.
Indonesia is the biggest market with more than 240 million persons. Thats mean
indonesia take 40% of ASEAN market (240 million : 600 million). Liberation trade
from AEC means the trade competition become tight and make two consequence for
indonesia; if Indonesias industry can compete in AEC market whom has 600 million
people, it is going to be land opportunity and it must be give a real impact for
economy in Indonesia. But if we fail, Indonesia will overflowing of other AEC
1 Indonesia LEMHANNAS journal, Peran Indonesia dalam Mewujudkan
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Guna Mendukung Ketahanan Nasional,
14TH editon, December 2012
2 Media Industri, Mengukur Kesiapan Industri Nasional Menjelang AEC
2015, 2nd edition, Media Industri, 2013

countrys poducts, even out of AEC products. so our country is potential to be lost
opportunity.
Building competitiveness in Asean market is still become Indonesias chalenge
today. Research of national planner in 2012 identificate best 10 of country whose have
an increase of competitiveness is still dominated by Europe countries. In ASEAN, our
country is worse than Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This fact is cause of Indonesia
is in trouble with domestic connerctivity, and produsen capability in manage the
resource. the lower competition in Indoensia indicated the resource advance havent
give significant benefit on positional advantage yet. thats mean economic structure in
Indonesia now is still focus on agriculture and indrustry which extract and collect
resource. Industrial which is oriented with increase of

value added of product,

production, distribution was still limited in Indonesia. I think im read well between the
one of the reasons why Mr. Joko Widodo, our precident is going to delete civil worker
receving program, and give his biggest support to creative industry is because the main
set of indonesian is prefer cunsumption to production. This mainset is need to be
repaired.
Labour Mobility
ASEAN Economic Community not only bring significant-reform impact on
economy, but also in other parties. We take example of educaton institutions. Almost all
of english language-education use ASEAN Economc Community as their pull power to
make people learn english. It is interesting isnt it? If before people take TOEFL/IELTS
test to register a foreign scholarship or magister programe, now that test will become
everyones main priority to get a job. Theres nothing to say that language-skill is in first
rate to know how good human resource is.
Human resource is the key point of economic reforms. 15 years after AEC
enforcement (2025), total population in Indonesia expected will increase until 274
million population3. The impact in that periode is, the labour force expected will
increase twice than the number of labour force now. Need to know that labour force in
3 Indonensian labor ministry and transmigration, rencana Pembangunan
Jangka Panjang 2010-2025.

indonesia is population whom ages from 15 to 64 years. Thus, become important for
indonesia, controlling the rate of population growth while improve optimally the
quality, competitiveness, and welfare of the labour force to make the true effective free
movement of high-skilled labour by the end of 2015.
Domestic Connectivity
Discussion continues. A hot issue in Indonesian goverment since APEC rendevouz in
beijing 2014, domestic connectivity was became the main point for improved the
institiutional performance. domestic connectivity are linked to ASEAN Economic
Community, Author believes that for integrate AEC, the first thing that every country
must start is improve the domestic connectivity.
Basically, domestic connectivity is a connectvity of economic distance in
physical and non physical condition. Physical condition consist land connectivity, sea
connectivity, and air connectivity and non physical programs is in Masterplan for
Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesias Economic Development,. Thats why
Indonesia was seriously building and advance connectivity in domestic is for accelerate
the realization of economic expansion..
Domestic connectivity is in order to connected well all Indonesian region. So the
economic distance become nearer and therefore no more high cost economy. If country
in ASEAN have succesed build domestic connectivity, it will expendite ASEAN
connectivity overall. And indonesia must be has competitiveness whose are going to
make the real benefit impact for Indonesiaan economiy.
Government of the people, by the people, for the people
Work, work, work!. A week after new Indonesias president inauguration,
cabinet nominees was announced. Those 34 elected persons, together with goverment
and people try to step in new-better way, those all component will be Indonesias
stronger strenght as long as those all component is still united on one purpose;
Indonesian welfare. Broom stick philosophy
Eventough Indonesia still faced many problems on integrate ASEAN Economy
Community, Indonesias competitiveness of international finance institution and

investment was still fall behind other ASEAN countries. But our resource is second to
none in this earth. its no need to worry excessively. Goverment cant wait to tidy up if
dont want just to be complementary in AEC 2015. Indonesian have got independence
with a great sacrifice. So, we are entitted to have a good govermance whom can leads us
towards more advance life in entering the 21st century. *