That's not all. By the end of this year or early next year, Indonesia may join the club of 15 countries with an annual GDP of more than $1tr. In 2011, foreign direct investment reached a record $19.3bn and exports grew by 29 percent, reaching $203.62bn. Fitch Ratings in December granted Indonesia an investment-grade credit rating after 14 years of junk status, and Moody's Investors Service followed in January.
Indonesia's net foreign debt is now less than 10 percent of GDP, and a real possibility exists that the country might become a net creditor by the end of next year. Moreover, Indonesia's stock market is booming. It was one of Asia's best-performing markets, gaining 3.2 percent at a time when other exchanges suffered due to the global financial crisis. In April, the World Bank noted that "despite both domestic and international risks, Indonesia's economic fundamentals are solid."
