JAKARTA: Manoeuvring through rush hour traffic in a city which has some of the world's worst traffic jams is a challenge for millions of residents living in Jakarta. So companies offering transport services to the public via smartphone applications are a welcome alternative. Residents can now order a motorcycle taxi known as 'ojek' from their home or office via the home-grown app GO-JEK or through Grab Bike, recently set up in Jakarta.

As Southeast Asian nations count down to the formation of an integrated economic community later this year, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows remain high in anticipation of more business opportunities. FDI inflows to Southeast Asia increased by 5% to US$133 billion in 2014, according to the World Investment Report 2015 released recently by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad). That compared with a 9% increase in 2013 to $126 billion.

"Delays: A general view of Jakarta’s mass rapid transit construction site on a busy street in Jakarta. Investors hoping for President Jokowi to speed up infrastructure works have been disappointed by delays. – EPA JAKARTA: Investors hoping for President Joko Widodo to speed work on Indonesia’s infrastructure projects have been disappointed, with a plan for a US$2bil airport railway line in the capital spotlighting the delays and bureaucratic infighting involved.