Ridwan Kamil: Digitization And Technology Key To Village Development

JAKARTA - West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil assesses digitalization and technology as the key to today's approach to village development.

"I believe, there are two important elements of a leader. The first is a good personality, and the second is a transformative leadership. Talking about transformation cannot be separated from digitalization," said Ridwan Kamil as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 31.

In the Blue Ocean Strategy Fellowship (BOSF) Public Lecture, Ridwan Kamil gave an example of the transformation when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, his party made a super app made by West Java Digital Service (JDS) called PIKOBAR (West Java COVID-19 Information Center & Coordination) to simulate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The man who graduated from the University of California (UC) Berkeley said a new approach to building a village must involve youth, not just digitization.

"I invite young people from West Java to join the Millennial Farmers program. We help in terms of financing through Bank BJB after the harvest is ready, agricultural commodities are purchased by BUMD, we even help in terms of marketing through e-commerce," he said.

According to him, the future has changed, not everyone has to live in a city to be successful and useful.

"Living in the village, urban sustenance, global business, that's our slogan," said Ridwan Kamil, who is also a Distinguished Fellow BOSF.

As the host of the Second BOSF Public Lecture, Chairman of the Advisory Board of School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, Gita Wirjawan expressed his appreciation to the Governor of West Java for the innovations that have been carried out.

He highlighted three things about Ridwan Kamil's leadership, first, the role of digitalization to strengthen the economy. Second, improving the socio-economic level of the people of West Java. Third, building various hard and soft infrastructures to encourage the progress of West Java Province.

Meanwhile, President of Sampoerna University Dr. Marshall Schott as a BOSF partner in Indonesia said that this partnership is a strategic collaboration for Sampoerna University to increase public awareness of the importance of building Indonesia from the village. Thus, it is not only dissolved in the hustle and bustle of urban life and forgetting the village community.

"Public policy is a very important element to learn from the younger generation who will become leaders in the future," he said.