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Indonesia is the only G20 economy in South-east Asia and is home to the world’s fourth-largest population. While it possesses a variety of natural resources, taking full advantage of this endowment is challenging due to constraints such as an archipelagic geography, an infrastructure deficit and workforce inefficiencies. Reforms aimed at addressing some of these shortcomings are on the table, though they face growing resistance, especially amid the Covid-19 crisis. Real GDP growth was 5.03% in 2019. Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, an uptick in GDP was expected in 2020. At a policy meeting in February, Perry Warjiyo, governor of Bank Indonesia, predicted Covid-19 would have a V-shaped effect on economic growth in 2020, with a baseline growth rate of 5.1% that could rise to 5.2% with fiscal policy support. However, as the pandemic quickly worsened and numerous countries enacted strict lockdown measures, this was revised down to 2.3% in April. This chapter contains interviews with Sri Mulyani, Minister of Finance; Perry Warjiyo, Governor, Bank Indonesia; and Wimboh Santoso, Chairman, Financial Services Authority.

Indonesia entered 2020 trying to navigate global economic headwinds, including the pressure of uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic; however, the second-term election victory of President Joko Widodo, better known as President Jokowi, in 2019 and his coalition’s control of the national legislature has put the government in a solid position to enact much-needed reforms. With the country long dependent on natural resources, the administration seeks to streamline investment processes to attract foreign direct investment in downstream processing, thereby raising the value of exports and providing a domestic alternative to imports. Meanwhile, Indonesia is also pursuing – and in some cases has already secured – a raft of bilateral and multi-stakeholder trade agreements. This chapter contains interviews with Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment; Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore; and Bahlil Lahadalia, Chairman, Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board.

Government initiatives to strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s industrial base have continued to yield results. However, despite public investment and government policies that have attracted private participation to the industrial sector, 2020 is likely to be a challenging year, with firms waiting to invest due to supply chain disruptions and the negative demand-side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, current policies and investments already under way leave the country’s industrial sector well positioned for continued growth over the medium and long term. Moreover, the rising number of internet users, which reached 12m in 2018, has fuelled opportunities in e-commerce. While Côte d’Ivoire, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a decline in non-essential retail sales as a result of the global spread of Covid-19, the foundation for long-term growth in the sector is strong. This chapter contains an interview with Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Commerce and Industry; and Abdelmajid Touzani, Regional Director for West Africa, Bühler.

This chapter introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Côte d’Ivoire in partnership with Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés. It also contains a viewpoint with Joachim Bilé-Aka and Michel K Brizoua-Bi, Founders, Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés.

In conjunction with EY, this chapter explores the taxation system and Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to build an investor-friendly environment. It also contains an interview with Eric N’Guessan, Managing Partner, EY Côte d’Ivoire.