"While looking at Indonesias competitiveness in the future, we must take precautionary measures to face the rapidly-evolving and fast-paced world," President Jokowi noted in his state speech during the Joint Meeting of the Regional Representative Council and the House of Representatives here on Wednesday.
To this end, he said, various parties must also continue to improve efficiency and national competitiveness through digital breakthroughs in the bureaucratic domain.
In addition, the president remarked that efficiency and competitiveness should also be improved through digital breakthroughs in public service, development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, working of the national economy, as well as the distribution of social assistance and non-cash subsidies.
Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) Agus Martowardojo had earlier stated that utilizing digital revolution in economic activities of society can boost the economy to grow to reach seven percent year-on-year (yoy), as compared to the current growth rate in the range of five percent yoy.
"The growth of pioneering digital companies is remarkable, in terms of the trade of goods and services (e-commerce), mode of payment, and financing. The number of internet users who shop online in 2016 had reached 24.74 million people," Martowardojo noted.
According to BIs calculations, the users of online trading services, or "e-commerce," had spent US$5.6 billion in 2016, or on an average, individual "e-commerce" users in Indonesia spent Rp3 million per year.
Earlier, Peoples Consultative Assembly Chairman Zulkifli Hasan had emphasized that the younger generation should be able to master technology, since it is important in facing challenges of the digitalization era, as it is now starting to develop.
"The future prospects of job availability are diminishing, as they are being replaced by technology, so the younger generation should be prepared," Hasan noted.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
