Hence, we consider that digitization is one of the strategic solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on the health and economic sectors in Sorong city.
Sorong, W Papua (ANTARA) - The Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative Office in West Papua launched the SIAP QRIS (Healthy, Innovative, and Safe to be Used Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) digital payment at the Remu Sorong traditional market on Thursday.

Deputy Head of the Representative Office James Wilson L. Tobing informed that the digital payment service was launched in collaboration with the Sorong city government, banks, and digital payment service providers.

Many of the more complicated and huge business challenges faced by entrepreneurs as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) amid the COVID-19 pandemic can be resolved by digital transactions, he said.


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Thus, digitization can play a crucial role to help recover the community’s economy in Indonesia amid the pandemic and it will continue to develop and increase the competitiveness of business actors in improving their business, he added.

Hence, considering the important role of digitization, digital transformation must be conducted in all sectors, especially in traditional and modern markets, he said.

According to Tobing, the BI Representative Office in West Papua province implemented digitization in Pasar Remu Sorong, the center of locals’ economy, by providing a fast, safe, and cheap QRIS payment channel, which also aimed to curb the transmission of COVID-19.

He said that to support the QRIS implementation, the banking partner has provided 37 banking agents in the market to process electronic money top-ups, cash out, transfers, as well as bill and tax payments.

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"The buyers and merchants can already do digital transactions with QRIS at the market," he added.

Assistant for economic affairs at Sorong city's Government Secretariat, Thamrin Tajuddin, lauded the launch of the electronic payment system to enable the public and traders to conduct digital transactions.

He said that the implementation of a strict policy for curbing COVID-19 in the past two years had put huge pressure on the economic sector of the city.

Meanwhile, digital transformation developed swiftly so it was able to massively disrupt all sectors as well as provide conveniences to the people, such as digital shopping, he added.

“Hence, we consider that digitization is one of the strategic solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on the health and economic sectors in Sorong city," Tajuddin remarked.



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Translator: Ernes Kakisina, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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