Can we challenge ourselves?

Can we challenge ourselves?

It is not only PT Astra International president director, TP Rachmat, who admires developments in such countries as India and China. We also see how all people compete for development. They succeed through hard work and discipline.

TP Rachmat spoke about choices made by countries like India and China, that the two countries have decided to focus on the development of software and hardware, respectively. The result is that India has emerged as the world's leading software producer and China as a manufacturer of low-priced hardware products.

What about us? Given the fact that Indonesia has been facing different problems these past five years, the condition is actually not too bad as we still have abundant natural wealth and a friendly climate.

Many experts say if this country were not Indonesia, it would have long ago collapsed. It has gradually awakened from the crisis and made progress these past two years. TP Rachmat pointed out that this year, his company had been able to increase its sale of motorcycles by 100 percent. He said his company's car sales had already exceeded the figures before the onset of the crisis in 1997.

So long as we are able to make our own challenges, we are expected to have the spirit to make successes in the future, similar to what other countries have done.

-- Kompas, Jakarta