Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan emphasized the need for Indonesia to develop more data centers in order to expedite realization of the country's digital transformation commitment.

"A data center is essential not only for companies but also for bureaucrats in running the government," Minister Pandjaitan remarked at the inauguration ceremony of the EdgeConneX Data Center in Cikarang, Bekasi District, West Java, on Wednesday.

He underscored the need for Indonesia to make the most of the potential of digital technology to sustain its economic development, adding that the country should be able to prepare and develop more data centers to seize opportunities ahead.

Pandjaitan noted that the government requires data centers to support the implementation and maintenance of the e-katalog, an online shopping platform that offers various products and commodities required by the government.

Data centers are also instrumental in managing the Village Fund, he highlighted.

The minister then assessed that Indonesia could use reliable data centers to support the development of a good digital ecosystem that can help eradicate corrupt acts.

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A good digital ecosystem can lower the number of corruption cases, he remarked.

"Data centers are of the essence to conduct economic distribution as well as financial, bureaucratic, and educational activities in the digital space," he stated.

He also reiterated that Indonesia has enormous digital economic potential.

According to data in 2022, Indonesia's digital economic value of US$77 billion has been the highest in the Southeast Asian region and is projected to increase to US$130 billion by 2025.

Moreover, Indonesia had cornered as much as 40 percent of the region's overall digital market share.

To capitalize on the potential, the government will make utmost efforts to provide convenience to business actors to invest in Indonesia's digital sector, Pandjaitan emphasized.

"The government will always support the efforts to accelerate digital transformation to tap into the (digital economic) potential. We must develop a solid digital ecosystem," he affirmed.

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Translator: Adimas R, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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