Vice President Ma’ruf Amin outlined the government’s plan to boost the digitalisation ecosystem, emphasising the digital economy and Indonesia’s financial competitiveness considering the ASEAN Economic Community. Digital infrastructure development was accelerated, pro-digital legislation and regulations were enacted (such as the Digital Indonesia Roadmap for 2021–2024), and attempts were made to improve citizens’ digital literacy and proficiency.
“Increasing financial inclusion will propel a robust, sustainable, and more equitable national economic recovery. The accessibility and affordability of digital financial services need to be expanded to reach people in all corners of the country going forward,” he said.
Ma’ruf further explained that this possibility also exists at the ASEAN regional level. Because in his view, maximising the benefits of digitalisation for regional economic growth – including expanding business opportunities, enhancing product quality, boosting productivity and efficiency and enhancing competitiveness -requires transforming ASEAN into a digital region.
Additionally, he stated that the increasing demand for digital financial services is both an opportunity and a challenge for the various players involved in the industry to work together and create a system that is efficient, innovative, inclusive, secure, and sustainable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Mohammad Rudy Salahuddin, Deputy for Coordination of Digital Economy, Employment, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (Kemenko for the Economy), the value of Indonesia’s digital economy will reach US$ 77 billion in 2022, an increase of 22% from the previous year. He said that with this number, Indonesia became a regional powerhouse in the digital economy, accounting for more than 40% of ASEAN’s total.
In 2025, it is expected to be worth US$ 130 billion; by 2030, it is expected to be worth US$ 360 billion. The numbers demonstrate the importance of innovation and technology in keeping the economy competitive and stable.
This transformation is made possible by the rapid pace at which innovation and technology develop. As Rudy put it, “The momentum of digital economic and financial transformation is a key element in post-pandemic recovery efforts and a driving component in building a more resilient and competitive nation.”
Ma’ruf also highlighted the need for human resources (HR) and digital expertise to keep up with these changes. As the Vice President noted, hundreds of millions of Indonesians are estimated to be regular internet users. Therefore, ministries/institutions (K/L) must make educational programmes regarding internet use for individual, community, and national development.
“I’m hoping that all relevant Ministries/Institutions will be able to contribute to this effort. Moreover, I hope that increased ASEAN collaboration would help unearth talented young people in the digital arts in all ten member states,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the growth of digital technology will bring optimism for bright prospects for the workforce. “Although this forecast has not been verified in the previous two years, this has prompted us to be more specific in creating policies,” Ma’ruf added.
About the projected loss of various occupations due to robots and machines in the early 2020s, the Vice President pointed to the actions made by the Indonesian government to welcome the age of the use of artificial intelligence. He stressed the government’s commitment to ongoing research and observation of local and international changes to build policies that work.
