It is hoped that 83 thousand villages throughout Indonesia will have access to Internet by 2023.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin inaugurated the ‘Abah-Ojek Desa’ app and ‘Santri Digitalpreneur’ program to help recover people’s economic activities in Purwakarta District, West Java Province, on Monday.

Speaking at the event, he said that the development of the ‘Abah-Ojek Desa’ app is aimed at increasing opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their markets as well as facilitate the distribution of agricultural products for rural communities.

"I laud the Dewa Dewi Indonesia Foundation for supporting the national economic recovery program through the establishment of the Indonesian product marketplace called ‘Abah’. There is also ‘Ojek Desa’ app which provides online transportation," he said in Purwakarta District on Monday.

The online transportation app can support economic activities and create new jobs in rural areas, the Vice President added.

Thus, through these innovations, it is expected that superior products from the district can enter the global market, Amin said.

However, uneven Internet coverage has become an obstacle to market expansion efforts, he noted. Therefore, this must be addressed without delay.

Indonesia will not become a more advanced country if there are areas that are not connected to the Internet, he said.

Hence, the government has consistently expedited the development of digital infrastructure to reduce the digital divide, Amin added.

"The Communication and Informatics Ministry is striving to develop the infrastructure. It is hoped that 83 thousand villages throughout Indonesia will have access to Internet by 2023," he remarked.

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He also expressed the hope that digitalization will encourage the establishment of various innovations and new business models to foster various economic activities.

In addition, the government is encouraging digitalization efforts in Islamic boarding schools, for instance, through the ‘Santri Digitalpreneur’ program initiated by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.

"Through the program, the boarding school can generate students who are smart as well as excellent at reciting the holy Qur’an and establishing entrepreneurship," the Vice President added.

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Translator: Rangga Jingga, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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