Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the government is committed to supporting efforts to develop Indonesia's creative and digital economies by continuing to work to handle the digital divide.

"The government is always committed to supporting the development of Indonesia's creative and digital economies, including by striving to address the digital divide issue and enhance the competitiveness of the country's digital human resources," Hartarto stated, as quoted from an official statement in Jakarta, Thursday.

Minister Hartarto made the statement during a meeting with the CEO of TikTok social media platform Shou Zi Chew in Jakarta on Wednesday (June 14).

The minister reiterated that the government is always providing support to the efforts in developing Indonesia's creative economy, especially when the country is witnessing an increase in the number of local startup companies developing applications that provide benefits to the people.

"The ever developing social media platforms today are helping us to stay interconnected, so we can exchange insights as well as open opportunities to translate aspirations into achievements," Minister Hartarto affirmed.

The minister's meeting with the TikTok CEO was part of the series of activities of the TikTok Southeast Asia Economic Impact Report 2023 launch event that is taking place on Thursday.

Government representatives from all ASEAN countries are invited to attend the report launch event that constitutes the culmination of the fifth year anniversary celebration of TikTok's presence in the region.

Hartarto also lauded TikTok for its dedication over the past half a decade in inspiring creativity and bringing joy to communities, particularly business actors, who run micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as the creative economy industry.

During the meeting, Minister Hartarto was accompanied by Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo as well as the secretary and the expert staff for digital transformation, creativity and human resources at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

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Translator: Sanya Dinda, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Sri Haryati
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