Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on a Limited Meeting on Digital Transformation Planning Monday, 3 August 2020 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Distinguished Vice President,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
On today’s Limited Meeting, we will discuss the planning of digital transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic must serve as a momentum for us to accelerate digital transformation as the current and perhaps the next pandemic are bound to change the way people work, doing activities, consuming, learning, and making transactions, shifting from offline with physical contact to online and digital.
Such changes must be anticipated, prepared, and planned thoroughly. Survey from the IMD (International Institute for Management Development) World Digital Competitiveness in 2019 places Indonesia at rank 56th out of 63 countries. This is far below, lower than that of some of our neighboring countries in ASEAN, for example Thailand which is ranked 40, Malaysia at 26, and Singapore at 2.
Therefore, we should pay attention on this. First, do expand access to and improve digital infrastructure immediately. I have talked to Minister of Communication and Informatics on this issue. We also talked about measures to improve internet services in 12,500 villages, as well as in public service points.
Second, do prepare digital transportation roadmap in strategic sectors, including government, public services, social assistance, education, health, trade, industry, and broadcasting sectors. Digital infrastructure that we have built must not have very low utility
Third, do accelerate integration of the National Data Center.
Fourth, do prepare human capital in the digital sector. Our country needs around nine million digital talents for the next fifteen years. This is pivotal to carry out digital transformation and we need to prepare this seriously. Indonesia also needs approximately 600,000 digital talents per year in order to build a good ecosystem for the growth of digital talents.
Fifth, regulations and funding scheme for digital transformation must be prepared immediately.
And that concludes my remarks.
Translated by Estu Widyamurti
Reviewed by M. Ersan Pamungkas