The Gernas BBI is targeting 30 million IKMs/MSMEs to transform by entering the digital market
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Digitalization will encourage small and medium industries (IKMs) and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their market coverage within the country and outside it, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has said.

To this end, he said he fully supports the government's efforts to provide assistance to IKMs/MSMEs and creative economy players to help them enter the digital ecosystem through the Proud of Indonesian-Made Products National Movement (Gernas BBI).

"The Gernas BBI is targeting 30 million IKMs/MSMEs to transform by entering the digital market," he noted at the "Kick-Off of the Proud of Indonesian-Made Products (BBI) and Proud to Travel in Indonesia (BWI) Movements" in Bengkulu on Thursday, according to a written statement released here on Friday.

He said that the digital transformation that has been undertaken in the past few years is expected to help Indonesia attain its vision of becoming the fifth-largest economy in the world by 2045.

According to the We Are Social Digital Indonesia report released in February 2023, Indonesia has 212.9 million internet users and 167 million social media users, with the average internet usage recorded at 7 hours 42 minutes per day.

Data from Bank Indonesia has shown that the value of e-commerce transactions in the country reached Rp476.3 trillion (US$31.54 billion) in 2022.

Kartasasmita said that those numbers highlight the vast potential of the digital economy that Indonesia must utilize.

Nevertheless, in efforts to develop Indonesia's digital economy, there are many challenges related to the readiness of digital economy players to enter the ecosystem, he noted.

In July, the government of Bengkulu province is serving as the campaign manager of the BBI and BWI National Movements in the province.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry is serving as the co-campaign manager with support from various parties, including Bank Indonesia, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

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Translator: Ade Irma, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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