Charlie Binder*

The implementation of the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is fast approaching but Indonesia is dragging its feet. As a founding member whose economy accounts for over a third of the region's combined gross domestic product (GDP), it should be leading the pack.

At the beginning of 2014, Indonesia's new Trade Minister, Muhhamad Lutfi, proclaimed "The AEC is like rain. While some tend to worry and use an umbrella, Indonesia should