Is Indonesia ready for single currency?

Is Indonesia ready for single currency?

Wouldn't life be much easier if the prices of basic
necessities were the same as before the monetary crisis? Wouldn't
it be nice to have money in the bank for unexpected expenses like
healthcare?

These things would all be possible if Indonesia had sound
economic and social policies. After several years of trial and
error, Indonesia is slowly getting back on its feet.

What can be done to speed up this process and ensure that all
Indonesians benefit from this economic growth?

With a new president in charge, people can only hope and pray
that corruption will be reduced so that the daily life of
Indonesians can be improved and they all get an equal chance to
access education, thereby improving the quality of their own
lives and the lives of their families. Also, when sick, people
will be able to go to the hospital and get proper medical care at
an affordable price.

All the basic necessities mentioned above should be available
to all the people on the Earth, but for a developing country like
Indonesia and other countries in the Southeast Asia region, most
of these needs cannot be obtained due to endemic poverty.

Money makes the world go around, and even though it is not the
most important thing in life, it has long been one of life's
necessities.

Indonesia is one of the poorest countries in the Southeast
Asia region and, therefore, it is very difficult to improve the
lives of all Indonesians. Choices need to be made in order to
improve the standard of living, and it takes a strong and
determined president who is not afraid and, more importantly, is
willing to do everything in his power to make these choices.

So, what choices can our president make? What can he do to
improve the standard of living? When thinking about these
questions, we may differentiate between the short-term and long-
term advantages that may be gained. In the long run, a single
currency for the Southeast Asian Region could benefit Indonesia.
A single currency would improve Indonesia's negotiating position
on the international market and attract foreign direct investment
due to lower risks associated with exchange rates.

This may all sound good on paper, but it has also proved
successfully in practice. Since the adoption of the single
currency in the European Union, the smaller and weaker economies
have benefited the most.

KNUT J. MO
Surabaya