KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesia has called on its Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) partners to maximise the benefit of digitalisation to foster faster economic recovery and in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
Indonesian Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate said efforts should also be made to help the most vulnerable in order to ensure that no one will be left behind.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a momentum to accelerate the digitalisation in many parts of the world, including Indonesia and Asean.
“As the President Joko Widodo has mandated, Indonesia has taken steps to maximise its digital potential through digital transformation initiatives in strategic sectors, namely infrastructure development, technology adoption, digital talent improvement, and the creation of fundamental regulation,” he said in his intervention at the plenary session of the inaugural Asean Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN1). here, Thursday.
Themed “Asean: A Digitally Connected Community,” the meeting. which is being held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, is chaired by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, from Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia assumes the chairmanship of ADGMIN for year 2021, taking over from Laos. The meeting was previously known as Asean Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministers’ Meeting (TELMIN).
In his speech, Johnny also highlighted how digitalisation had helped to empower the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), especially the ultra-micro businesses in the republic, in order to stay productive and survive during the pandemic.
He said in the second half of 2020, his government has facilitated 3.4 million MSMEs, in their digital onboarding through the flagship programme, “Bangga Buatan Indonesia”, which, resulted in more than 10 million MSMEs digitally onboarded.
“By 2024, it is expected that there will be more than 30 million MSMEs out of the total 60 million MSMEs in Indonesia that will go digital.
He noted that in 2019, Indonesia becomes the fifth country in the world with the highest number of startups, with a total of 2,074 startups, four unicorns, and one decacorn.
“We constantly strive to nurture a better digital environment through better regulations and programmes which facilitate businesses to grow and expand.
“Among our priority programmes are 1000 Startups Movement, an incubator and accelerator for Indonesian startups, and Nexticorn, a facilitator serving to bridge startups and investors to foster the next unicorns of Indonesia,” he added.
The minister said digital transformation process is also apparent in the nation’s pandemic management.
He said the government has launched the tracking-tracing-fencing platform PeduliLindungi and support the development of one-stop information platform “Bersatu Lawan Covid-19” or “United Against Covid-19”, where such effort had contributed to the socialisation of government’s programme to urge the people to follow the mandatory health protocols.
On the Covid-19 vaccination programme, the minister said digital technologies had played a part in conducting an efficient vaccination programme in the republic, where there are about 181.5 million recipients out of its 270 million population.
“The government utilises a comprehensive “Satu Data Vaksin Covid-19” or the One Data Digital System for Vaccination, which provides an integrated platform to handle vaccination management, from the vaccine registration, vaccine distribution, to certificate issuance for recipients.
He said apart from that, Indonesia has also provided internet network for 3,000 health facilities in 2020, out of more than 13,000 health facilities all over Indonesia, and made all these facilities fully operational for vaccination and other telemedical measures for this year and beyond. -Bernama
