President Jokowi Hopes More Startup Companies Enter Global Market

President Jokowi visits a booth at the opening of the 2018 Digital Startup Connect, at the Kartika Expo, Balai Kartini, Jakarta, Friday (7/12). (Photo by: Fitri/PR Division)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hopes that more startup companies can enter global market.

The President added that there are a lot to be improved in home industries, for example the packaging that has not changed much from the beginning.

“Indonesia has a lot of local fruits, but you must not just market it online because it must pass quality control first,” President Jokowi said at the opening of the 2018 Digital Startup Connect, at the Kartika Expo, Balai Kartini, Jakarta, Friday (7/12).

According to the President, some technical and non-technical issues should be managed first, including improving the management quality of micro and small businesses, such as warung (a small stall), and merge it with an online shop.

“This is such huge task that must be completed with teamwork and collaboration,” President Jokowi said adding that the young generation should not only focus on online ecosystem but also offline ecosystem.

President Jokowi expected the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) to manage it well, and Ministry of Communication and Informatics to provide a platform to merge online and offline ecosystems that will make business people, both online and offline, be able to create an economic leap.

On that occasion, President Jokowi said that contribution of digital economy to the gross domestic product (GDP) was 7.3 percent in 2017.

“It is such a high figure, considering our economic growth only reached 5.1 percent. It means our digital economy grows higher than our economic growth,” President Jokowi said adding that digital economy is projected to contribute to 8.5 percent to the GDP in 2018.

The Head of State appreciated the leap of progress made by sociopreneurs. He mentioned that the country currently has four unicorns out of 7 unicorns in ASEAN; Gojek, Traveloka, Bukalapak, and Tokopedia.

“I believe you will become the next unicorns aside from that 4 unicorns. I want Indonesia to own more unicorns and invade other countries with our technologies,” the President asserted.

Concluding his remarks, President Jokowi called on the youth to move from consumerism to productivism, from comfort zone to innovation, and make Indonesia a country that produces heaps of digital startup companies.

Also attending the event were Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, Head of Bekraf Triawan Munaf, Coordinator for Presidential Special Staff Teten Masduki, and CFO of Gan Kapital and President Director of Plug and Play Indonesia Wesley Harjono. (DNA/ES)

Translated by : Rany Anjany Subachrum
Edited by : Mia Medyana Bonaedy