Coordinating Minister Airlangga: Digitizing The Accelerator Of National Economic Growth

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said that digitalization, which grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, became an accelerator of national economic growth.

"Almost all countries, including Indonesia, use digitalization as an accelerator of economic growth and use digitalization as a place for job creation," Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto said as quoted by Antara, Sunday, October 2.

Airlangga explained that the digital economy is expected to increase its market to around 135 to 144 billion US dollars by 2025.

Reading this opportunity, he continued, the government continues to build infrastructure to support digitization through collaboration with foreign governments to apply Low Earth Orbit Satellite (LEO) technology so that Indonesia can be connected with other countries.

"Digital transformation continues to be pushed by the government by preparing its infrastructure, including fiber optics, 4G to 5G networks, and also being prepared for satellites that are not too high or LEO. LEO This has been tested in East Kalimantan. With this satellite, if all of them can be installed, then all islands in Indonesia will be connected," explained Airlangga.

In addition to infrastructure preparation, he said, human resources with digital capabilities are very important, so the government launched the Pre-Employment Card Program in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a semi-social assistance program with online education elements in it.

The first government-to-people program has been appreciated by world institutions and will be replicated to help other developing countries.

“The Pre-Employment Card program has been carried out from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island. This shows that the readiness of the Indonesian people in the digital sector is ready," said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Currently, Indonesia is the owner of the most start-ups in ASEAN, where the majority of these start-up companies are founded by the younger generation.

"Therefore, this is a golden momentum. Don't waste this momentum. I appreciate this meeting which is a place for the younger generation to gather, get information, do networking, listen to experienced sources," concluded Airlangga.