Foreign Insight: (Indonesia – Singapore) Young Generation

(Business Lounge Journal – Foreign Insight)

Entrepreneurial from Singapore can bring their ideas here and work with the Indonesian partner to bring some of this ideas whether it’s in IT, whether it’s in digital space, whether it’s in innovation, and likewise we are also hoping that our Indonesian friend, young Indonesian will also come to Singapore and work with their Singapore friends, and try out some of this ideas. I think this is the way for us and it is no surprise or chance for what has been going on for a generation.

BL: Business Lounge Journal

AK: Anil Kumar Nayar

BL: You know, young man, young people is growing now. The millennial will sooner or later taking part in both of the governmental or private sector leadership in both countries. Do you see any changes in this generation transition and do you think it will have some impact to this Indonesia and Singapore long tire relationship?

AK: Well, we don’t tend to segmentize our economic cooperation in terms of age group. We try to look at it as part of the overall people to people relationship. So, it is true that millennials today are very mobile. They are pushing forward in the borderless world. Taking the ideas wherever they gain traction and wherever they find the ideas can bring the result. So, what we do in Singapore is to try to create an environment where people, whether young and old, can have an opportunity to bring forth this ideas and the benefit for them and bring benefit to others. So in that sense we hope the connectivity, between Singapore and Indonesia can be enhanced. Meaning, entrepreneurial from Singapore can bring their ideas here and work with the Indonesian partner to bring some of this ideas whether it’s in IT, whether it’s in digital space, whether it’s in innovation, and likewise we are also hoping that our Indonesian friend, young Indonesian will also come to Singapore and work with their Singapore friends, and try out some of this ideas. I think this is the way for us and it is no surprise or chance for what has been going on for generation.

BL: Well, would you please tell us about the millennial Singapore entrepreneur. Currently, they are, as you said that they are mobile, is there prefer to have business starting up in Singapore or abroad? Or both?

AK: I think it’s a case of they are mobile, as you said, therefore they are quite free and easy in moving. But I think it’s important for us whether Singapore or Indonesia to maintain the connection with our young generation, so that wherever they go with their ideas, in the end there’s positive outcome for Singapore or for Indonesia. At the end of the day, I think people are motivated by ease of doing business where they find the ideas, can take root where there’s not too many rules or regulations with hamper their activities, legal activities, obviously. And I think people will go to this places. With this way, Singapore has focused on making sure that we remain attractive to the business community in term of ease of doing business, in term of the regulatory aspects, providing the save, secure, and also conducive environment for businesses to take root. So I think there’s a lot that two countries can do together.

Business Lounge Journal/VMN/BLJ