Digital disruption has ushered in the era of Industry 4.0. We did not expect to also be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this yearJakarta (ANTARA) - Emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has left people with no choice but to adopt, involve, and conduct digital transformation in their day-to-day lives, according to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.
"Digital disruption has ushered in the era of Industry 4.0. We did not expect to also be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this year," the minister noted here on Wednesday.
In fact, Sri Mulyani highlighted that applying digitization posed a major challenge for the public before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
As an example, Mulyani cited that the Ministry of Finance had, in fact, begun implementing digital transformation since before the pandemic, though it was yet in its early stages.
The transformation conducted by the Ministry of Finance comprised preparing the entire document in digital form, digital service manuscripts, digital signatures, and implementing flexible work hours.
"It is still in the initial and experimental stages and then suddenly we get bogged down by the COVID-19 pandemic that forces us to not enter the office, but we have to continue working," Sri Mulyani remarked.
Moreover, the minister quipped in connection with a question raised on digital transformation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic on who was the most powerful in leading the digital transformation of a company.
"There is a joke about who is powerful and leads the transformation of your company to become digital," Sri Mulyani pointed out.
There are three choices of answers for such a question: the CEO or company leader, CIO or company information technology leader, and COVID-19.
"The answer is COVID-19. This may sound like a joke, but it is true,” Sri Mulyani stated.
The pandemic compels people to apply digitalization in their daily lives since currently, the only way to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases is by following social distancing norms, so that activities are limited.
On the other hand, the minister highlighted the need for people to still boost their productivity in order to support the country's economy, for which digital transformation is the key.
The country's economy came under tremendous pressure, as was apparent from a 5.32-percent contraction in the second quarter due to decreased tax revenue owing to loss-making companies.
"COVID-19 has a tremendous impact on our nation and the state’s finances," Sri Mulyani noted.
Hence, Sri Mulyani stated that COVID-19 offers extraordinary lessons, especially in throwing challenges at people to compulsorily adapt to digital transformation.
“Not one week or for that matter just one month, it is already the seventh month. This is an extraordinary challenge that changes quickly, and we must overcome it,” Sri Mulyani stated.
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