April 2009 - In a country where just a few percent of the population has ever paid taxes, governments have to find alternative ways to generate income. The many big advertisements are an indication of such alternative source of money. The island of Batam, directly under the city-state of Singapore, was supposed to become a showcase for the Indonesian economy. Nowadays however, the island should not be named special. It looks like a standard place in Indonesia with gloomy ruko and empty buildings.
