Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Indonesia has played a modest role in the world economy since the mid-20th
century, and its importance has been considerably less than its size,
resources, and geographic position would seem to warrant. The country is a
major exporter of crude petroleum and natural gas. In addition, Indonesia is
one of the world’s main suppliers of rubber, coffee, cocoa, and palm oil; it also
produces a wide range of other commodities, such as sugar, tea, tobacco,
copra, and spices (e.g., cloves). Nearly all commodity production comes from
large estates. Widespread exploration for deposits of oil and other minerals
has resulted in a number of large-scale projects that have contributed
substantially to general development funds.
Batak market on the shore of Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia. Robert Harding Picture Library
Manufacturing
In the early 1970s import substitution (replacement of foreign-produced goods
and services with those produced domestically) and support for the
agricultural sector were the two major aims of industrial policy. Import
substitution was geared to commodities such as food, textiles, fertilizers, and
cement, and this required consistent government protection and controls. This
policy proved to be both inefficient and expensive, however, and following the
sharp decline in oil revenues in the 1980s, reforms were introduced to
increase the competitive position of Indonesian manufactures in international
markets. The government launched a series of deregulations and encouraged
domestic and international private investment. Although many companies
remained in government hands, the state also participated in joint ventures
with the private sector.
As a result, the manufacturing sector has become the single largest
contributor to the economy, constituting well over one-fourth of GDP and
employing just over one-tenth of the labour force. A significant proportion of
production is handled by medium- and small-scale privately owned
enterprises, which supply consumer goods. Small-scale workshops
manufacture such consumer goods and general products as furniture,
household equipment, textiles, and printed matter. Since the mid-1980s there
has been a major shift toward developing large-scale and high-technology
industries, such as telecommunications and electronics; automobile
manufacturing has expanded especially rapidly in the 21st century. The centre
of private industry is in western Java, although considerable development has
taken place in Jakarta.
One of the country’s principal industries based on imported raw materials is
textile manufacturing. Spinning mills are largely state owned or in the hands of
foreign companies, while weaving and finishing factories, which are centred
in Bandung, are generally small-scale and privately owned by
local entrepreneurs. Batik production—an Indonesian method of hand-dyeing
textiles—is concentrated in central Java. Although production of batik remains
a major cottage industry, there are a number of larger-scale operations.