(Members of) Indonesia's younger generation must improve their digital literacy because they must be able to take (on) an essential role in the development of a digital-based economy in the futureJakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Angela Tanoesoedibjo urged the younger generation to take on an important role in the development of the digital economy in Indonesia.
Tanoesoedibjo stated that members of the younger generation, as digital natives, should continue to hone their skills to boost their competitiveness in entering the era of society 5.0.
"(Members of) Indonesia's younger generation must improve their digital literacy because they must be able to take (on) an essential role in the development of a digital-based economy in the future," she noted in a statement on Wednesday.
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According to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, the ratio of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is only 3.47 percent, or around nine million people out of the total population. Despite the figure having increased from 3.1 percent in 2016, it is still deemed low as compared to other countries, such as Singapore, at 8.5 percent, or Malaysia and Thailand, at 4.5 percent.
"Indonesia is targeting an increase in the percentage to reach 3.9-4 percent in 2024," she noted.
To achieve this target, Indonesia should make the most of the power of its micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as the country has 64.2 million MSMEs, with a contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) of 61.07 percent, or Rp8,573.89 trillion.
MSMEs can also absorb 97 percent of the workforce and collect up to 60.4 percent of the total investment, she remarked.
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Tanoesoedibjo noted that currently, the government is pushing the digitalization of MSMEs and artisans in the country. Therefore, the Proud of Indonesian Products National Movement (Gernas BBI) was realized.
Since its launch on May 14, 2020, as of August 2022, the national movement had pushed 12.1 million MSMEs and artisans to enter the digital ecosystem. Thus, over 20.1 million MSMEs in the country had, so far, entered digital platforms.
“This has explained that MSMEs are businesses that are productive in supporting the macro and micro economy in Indonesia as well as influencing other sectors to develop. For that, I hope that (members of) the younger generation in Indonesia can view this as an opportunity, so that they can take part in the development of MSME,” the deputy minister remarked.
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Translator: M Baqir, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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