Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government encourages national small and medium enterprises or SMEs to take advantage of the digitalization era by using online networks to expand their businesses.

"We are encouraging SMEs to go digital and showcase their products online," said Director of Metal, Electronics and Conveyance from the Ministry of Industry Endang Suwartini in a talk show in the Cikarang Industrial area in West Java, Tuesday.

She reminded that President Joko Widodo has previously stated that at the moment, it is coming into the disruption era, which is why it became important for SMEs to be empowered.

Her directorate and the ministry will continue to make efforts to empower SMEs through technology, including by introducing the internet of things and robotic applications.

Previously, Rector of Bogor Institute of Agriculture Arif Satria said that SMEs in Indonesia need to be strengthened, especially in this digital era, in order to intensify economic nationalism.

"SME empowerment is the key. That is the reason that we need to continue strengthening the SMEs and ensure that they advance in this digital era," he said after opening a Nationalism Public Lecture in the Digital Era in Bogor, on September 24.

He believed that the growth of creative and innovative, digital based companies will attract investors to come in. However, the entrance of new investors should not be followed by the flow of foreign retail products that can end up pushing local products to the side.

As previously reported, the development of various breakthroughs and innovation in the digital economy sector in the history, often begin with deregulation steps that allow business makers to expand their creativity.

"Digital economy always begin with deregulation," said Head of the Chamber of Commerce`s (Kadin`s) Committee of Information Technology, Communication and Logistics Elisa Lumbantoruan.

She believed that regulations will eventually adapt to natural evolvement that occur in the widespread of innovation and breakthrough in digital technology.

For example, she said, the blockchain technology that is currently developing fast in a number of sectors, which prompted the business sector to implement the application.

The blockchain technology is a constantly expanding and widespread database recording system that is connected and secured using cryptographic techniques so that they are considered to be resistant to data manipulation or modification.

"The government will surely see the impact from the presence of the new technology in the perspective of its implementation. Regulators will be present in their own time to ensure that the implementation of the technology does not come in the cost of any parties," she said.

Reporting by Muhammad Razi Rahman

(UU.KR-ARC/a014)


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Editor: Andi Abdussalam
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