MDIA Managing Director Arief Yahya Ready To Optimize Digital Transformation In 2021

MDIA Managing Director Arief Yahya during a virtual public exposure. (Photo: By courtesy)

JAKARTA - The Bakrie family-owned company, PT Intermedia Capital Tbk (MDIA), stated that it is ready to optimize digital transformation in 2021. This is to adapt to the growing digitalization trend in the country.

President Director of MDIA, Arief Yahya, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has also encouraged the company's steps to strengthen itself in advancing in digitization. The COVID-19 pandemic does require various activities to be carried out through online platforms to break the chain of spreading the virus.

Arief Yahya, who is a former Minister of Tourism, considered the media industry to be one of the industries most affected by digital transformation. However, he also felt the need to adapt and optimize digitalization.

"Digital transformation will inevitably or like it or not, will continue to grow and develop as demand increases. We can't say that I don't like Netflix and then they don't grow. Tiktok will keep growing and Youtube will keep growing. They will grow as demand especially demands. from millennials, "said Arief in an online public expose, Wednesday, December 30.

MDIA Director Ahmad Zulfikar added that the COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on including media under MDIA's auspices. Moreover, according to him, when the implementation of the PSBB was strict at the beginning of the pandemic.

Ahmad said that the pandemic was hitting company revenues. However, his party tricked him by carrying out some efficiency in terms of programming and broadcasting and from the side of general and administrative expenses in order to offset expenses for operations.

"Our Earning Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) grew 70.2 percent in the first nine months of 2020. From IDR 89.8 billion in the first nine months of 2019, to IDR 152.9 billion in the third quarter of 2020," he explained.

One of the media under the auspices of MDIA, namely, PT Visi Media Asia Tbk (VIVA) recorded EBITDA in the first nine months of 2020 amounting to IDR 39.2 billion or decreased by 39.1 percent compared to the first nine months of 2019.

Director of Visi Media Asia M Sahid Mahudie explained that his party is ready to face the challenges in 2021. His party will allocate a capital expenditure or capital expenditure (capex) of IDR 100 billion in 2021.

"Next year is a year of improvement. We will also focus on how to return to its original position. Capital spending will be focused on infrastructure development," he said.