Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of Indonesia Digital Test House (IDTH) at the Telecommunications Equipment Testing Center, Depok City, West Java Province, May 7, 2024
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Good morning,
May peace be upon us all.
Distinguished ministers, Presidential Chief of Staff, Governor of West Java, Mayor of Depok,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Within the last month, I have been visited by two CEOs from global technology companies, namely Mr. Tim Cook from Apple and Mr. Satya Nadella from Microsoft. During the two visits, I reiterated and underscored that we must not remain an audience. We must not merely be a market. Instead, we must become a player, a producer. In addition, we must also be careful and vigilant in the production of digital equipment that develops rapidly. The technology develops and transforms rapidly. Every day, there must be new technology equipment that changes the way we work, that offers speed and efficiency.
Unfortunately, the technology equipment and communication devices we use remain dominated by imported goods, and the trade deficit in this sector is almost USD2.1 billion, more than Rp30 trillion. Imports are also the majority in the list of equipment testing applications. Based on the data, 3,046 devices are from the PRC, while only 632 are from Indonesia. The difference is stark.
At the meeting, I received a report that out of 320 Apple device suppliers worldwide, Indonesia has only two. Only two suppliers. Meanwhile, the Philippines has 17, Malaysia has 19, Thailand has 24, and Vietnam has 72, even though our GDP is the largest in ASEAN. Indonesia contributes 46 percent of ASEAN’s GDP, but we only have two suppliers.
Why are we doing nothing? Why are you doing nothing? Surprised? It is concerning, but it is a big task that we must do. Other countries can have tens of suppliers, while we, once again, only have two.
Therefore, we must improve the capability of our local technology industry. Let me reiterate that we must not become mere technology users. We do not want to merely be their market. We want to be a key player in the global technology supply chain and of course, we must have courage and make breakthroughs.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am grateful that we now have Indonesia Digital Test House, a center for equipment testing with international standards. As the Minister of Communications and Informatics stated, it is the largest and most comprehensive in Southeast Asia, and it will be the leading digital equipment certification center in the region. I have looked around the rooms. The equipment is super modern, excellent because it used a budget of almost Rp1 trillion. I asked how much it cost, and the answer was Rp980 billion. If the equipment is super advanced, it is not a surprise because of the high budget.
I am aware that equipment testing plays a very crucial role. All digital devices are tested in this place. The Minister has said that laptops, mobile phones, Bluetooth, access points, digital televisions, handy talky, radars, everything is tested at this center. Before they enter the market, they are tested here to ensure that it meets the security, health, and safety standards.
I hope the IDTH not only serves as a place of certification. Its role must not be limited to merely testing equipment and technology. It must also promote innovation and strengthen the local digital technology ecosystem with easy access to certification.
For that reason, I order Ministry of Communications and Informatics to continue driving the IDTH to become an R&D center, cooperate with higher education institutions, startups, and MSMEs, promote research and patents, and support the development of testing and certification of local products so that domestic digital equipment products can compete. This is what we hope to achieve together; digitalization becomes the basis of the local industry and economic development by putting local producers as the dominant player in their own country.
By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this morning I hereby inaugurate the Indonesia Digital Test House.
I thank you.
Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.