The Pandemic Has Forced Faster Digitalization, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin: MSMEs Cannot Be Left Out

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (Photo: Assistant Secretary of the Presidential Secretariat KIP via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that the shift in business activities towards digitalization has become increasingly massive in the past year. This cannot be separated from changes in people's behavior due to the pandemic conditions that have occurred.

"Most of the business is currently done online and this can be seen from the growth in online sales and the increase in goods delivery services", he said when he was the keynote speaker at the virtual seminar Indonesia Bangkit organized by CIMB Niaga, Tuesday, April 6.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin added, although many entrepreneurs have flocked to transfer their business activities digitally, he sees that there are still many business actors who are still left out in utilizing technology.

"We also have to admit that not all of our MSMEs have been touched by digitalization", he said.

For this reason, the Vice President invites all parties to work together to encourage small business segmentation to take part in this 4.0 industrial revolution.

"MSMEs must not be left out in digitalization. The MSMEs must be a part of digital transformation", he said.

Furthermore, he revealed that throughout 2020, various collaboratives to deal with the pandemic involving various stakeholders sprang up in various regions in Indonesia.

These various efforts are supported by digital technology which is proven to be able to adapt by making virtual use of economic, educational, and social activities.

"We need innovations and new breakthroughs carried out collaboratively by various parties, including elements from academia, community organizations and leaders, business entities, and various elements of society", he explained.