Pandemic Creates Digital Business Opportunities, Menpora Wants Young People's Creative Economy Boosted

Minister zainudin Amali (DOK Kemenpora)

JAKARTA - Minister zainudin Amali said the youth are in strategic posis. Therefore youth became the backbone of nation building.

This was conveyed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs when he was the speaker of the National Dialogue 2021 with the title 'Sustainability of Youth Literary Ecosystem in the Covid-19 Period'. This event was organized by UNDP Indonesia in collaboration with Citi Fondation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and The Ministry of Finance.

"Today's youth will be the backbone of Indonesia going forward in 2045 which will be precisely 100 years of Indonesia's independence," said Minister of Finance Amali in his presentation, Thursday, May 20.

Youth as the next generation of the nation continued Amali must prepare themselves with various competencies in accordance with the potential.

"Among the important things is the potential and soft skills of entrepreneurship among young people," he said.

Menpora Amali believes that youth entrepreneurship is developing today as a multidimensional solution to the problems that arise.

"Because the development of youth entrepreneurship is expected to encourage the development of the world economy with the basis of creativity and innovation in various sectors of the economy, especially the creative economy sector," he hoped.

With the development of young entrepreneurship is expected to give birth to young entrepreneurs who have creativity and innovation so that eventually able to open jobs.

"This is certainly necessary for us to realize together. These efforts today we feel, facing a fairly serious challenge both at the individual level of the youth itself, the support of families and communities and the environment that has not been conducive and no less important is that there are still limitations of policy reach that suits the youth," he concluded.

Therefore, kemenpora puts entrepreneurial development as one of the priority programs of the Ministry of Finance until 2024.

"We want to encourage our young people to grow interest and even dare to start entrepreneurship at that young age through programs or entrepreneurial development activities," he said.

In addition, The Minister of Amali also encourages coordination and collaboration across sectors in the service of young entrepreneurial development, both at the central and regional levels.

"As the implementation of the priority program, the Ministry of Finance conducts through a youth entrepreneurship development strategy that is prepared together with Bappenas," he explained.

There are also two strategies, among others, first, the increase in the capacity and competence of individual young entrepreneurs. Second, improving the youth entrepreneurial development ecosystem.

"The approach of business incubation needs to be given to young entrepreneurial candidates and thus can present an ecosystem that supports the growth of youth entrepreneurship," he said.

According to him, the existence of a conducive ecosystem will have an impact on the sustainability of the business incubation process and further support to easy entrepreneurs who are expected to be together.

"To build or realize a sustainable youth entrepreneurial ecosystem is needed seriousness and collaboration from various parties including the central government, local government, youth communities, and entrepreneurs. No less important is the international organization," said Minister amali.

Meanwhile, The Head of UNDP Representative, Norimasa Shimomura expressed gratitude for the 2021 National Dialogue held and received support from the government including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bappenas and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to him, Indoensia has the potential to benefit from demographic bonuses due to the large proportion of the productive age population.

"But this is not an inevitability, everyone needs a real effort to translate these demographic assets from a demographic bonus of a young population into a demographic bonus. And it's not an easy road," he said.

However, he believes that the development of young Indonesian entrepreneurship will benefit from the demographic bonus. Moreover, today in the middle of the pandemic many emerging media entrepreneurs by utilizing digital technology.

"Pandemic creates opportunities for digital businesses with many young entrepreneurs turning to cyberspace to keep their businesses afloat," he explained.

Present as speakers in this event include Muhadjir Effendy, National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia / National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Suharso Monoarfa and Vice Chairman of KADIN, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani.