Digital literacy plays an important role in creating human resources that are able to use the internet to encourage productivity and innovation, especially in the digital economy sector
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Spokesman for the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Dedy Permadi believes that equitable digital literacy can encourage productivity and innovation in various sectors, especially in digital economy.

"Digital literacy plays an important role in creating human resources that are able to use the internet to encourage productivity and innovation, especially in the digital economy sector," Permadi told ANTARA here onTuesday.

Furthermore, he drew attention to a Bain Analysis study that indicated Indonesia's digital economy in 2020 grew by 11 percent from 2019.

This value is estimated to reach US$124 billion by 2024.

"The Ministry of Communication and Informatics believes that through digital literacy, the number of MSMEs that are onboard the digital ecosystem will continue to increase, from the current figure of 12 million MSMEs," Permadi remarked.

Earlier, on a separate occasion, Permadi elaborated on three important areas of the focus of the government in responding to rapid developments in digital economy today and in the years to come.

First, the digital economy sector has vast potential to become the main economic driving factor for Indonesia during the pandemic. Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), a year-on-year growth of around 10.58 percent was recorded in the information and communication sector that is directly related to the digital economy sector.

Furthermore, the digital economy in 2025 is projected to be valued at Rp1,700 trillion. The three active components in the digital economy comprise the internet, artificial intelligence (AI), and e-commerce platforms.

Some 81 percent of Indonesian MSMEs are not familiar with the digital space in optimizing their business opportunities.

The opportunity for MSMEs to go digital can contribute to their resilience in the midst of a pandemic.

This is supported by a 35 percent increase in shipments of goods in 2021 related to online sales.

This year, Permadi noted that the Ministry of Communications and Informatics was targeting to reach 12.5 million participants in the development of basic digital skills through the National Movement for Digital Cyber-Skills Literacy (GNLD Siberkreasi), 100 thousand participants for inculcating mid-level digital skills through the Digital Talent Scholarship (DTS), and 300 participants for imparting advanced digital skills through the Digital Leadership Academy (DLA).

By 2024, GNLD Siberkreasi is expected to cover 50 million participants, 700 thousand participants for DTS, and 1,200 participants for DLA.

"This program becomes a stimulus that aligns with the president's direction regarding preparations for the need for nine million digital human resources over the next 15 years to support digital transformation in Indonesia," Permadi noted.

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Translator: Arnidhya, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Sri Haryati
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