Erick Thohir To SOE Directors: Don't Be A Dinosaur, Die Eaten By Age Don't Want To Metamorphosis

JAKARTA - Adaptation to face changing times is a must for Indonesia. Including the case with state-owned companies.

In the era of digitalization, whether you like it or not, you have to transform. Otherwise, it will die with time.

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir said that SOE directors cannot remain silent in the face of the digitalization era.

Because the digital era has changed so many aspects of people's lives.

This can be seen in changes in the way of working, the way of doing business, to other important things in life that really need digital support.

Furthermore, Erick conveyed that the changing times have also encouraged people, especially the younger generation, to easily switch to using cashless or non-cash payment systems.

From the start, said Erick, the Ministry of SOEs was committed to providing convenience for the public in accessing cashless payment systems through a transformation program for business model innovation and technology leadership.

"From the beginning, we have built an ecosystem where digital is the key for us to be able to compete. SOEs should not become dinosaurs that die due to age because of their size, but do not want to metamorphose", he said in an official statement, Thursday, August 4.

Therefore, Erick also praised the digitalization breakthroughs carried out by several SOEs such as Ferizy (Official Mobile Application from PT. ASDP Indonesia Ferry) and Bank Mandiri with Livin services.

With the online system, said Erick, Ferizy was able to solve the queue problem that had occurred for years at the ferry service.

"For example, Ferizy ASDP, used to take 10 hours to queue for trucks, we tried two years ago, and the e-ticketing system can save our logistics costs, which are currently 23 percent or higher than other countries, which are 13 percent", said Erick.

Erick assessed that the success of this system boosted the movement of crossings from Java to Sumatra by up to 40 percent.

In fact, during the last homecoming period, the growth rate of fleet crossings grew to 144 percent.

Then, said Erick, Bank Mandiri by the trend of digital banking through Livin was able to become a strategic liaison in the non-cash payment sector for the Indonesian tourism sector.

“I assigned Mandiri to build a payment ecosystem for the tourism sector. We are often trapped in the mindset that when we talk about the tourism industry, we are always foreign tourists, even though before the pandemic, 76 percent were foreign tourists, only 24 percent were foreigners,” he said.

For example, said Erick, in Bali, foreign tourists have only returned 30 percent, while domestic tourists have returned 70 percent.

Therefore, Erick admitted that he would also synergize with the tourism and supporting holdings or InJourney.