Jakarta (ANTARA) - Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo offered three strategic steps aimed at strengthening the sovereignty of Indonesia's information technology (IT) and telecommunication manufacturing sectors in the final debate of the 2024 presidential election.

The first step, he said, concerns the need to encourage private actors running gadget businesses to promote their products on E-Katalog, the government's online procurement system.

"We have private actors running gadget businesses in Semarang. The prices are affordable and cheaper. We can help them by involving them in the E-Katalog system," he remarked in the debate held by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Sunday evening.

He then elaborated on the second step, saying that he is planning to task state-run electronics manufacturer PT Len Industry with bringing glory to Indonesia's telecommunication and IT manufacturing sectors.

As for the third step, Ganjar emphasized the need for Indonesia to collaborate with foreign telecommunications and IT players to support the transfer of technology.

"We can work together with international brands by encouraging them to build factories in Indonesia. Such a measure has been implemented by India, leading to transfers of knowledge and technology as well as higher added values," he pointed out.

The KPU has determined the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates, namely the pair Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.

Raising the themes of education, health, manpower, culture, information technology, social welfare, and inclusion, Sunday's debate took place after four rounds of presidential and vice presidential debates in December 2023 and January 2024.

Indonesia will hold the 2024 general elections on February 14, in which around 204.8 million people are expected to exercise their voting rights. The political campaigning period started on November 28, 2023, and will end on February 10.

During the elections, voters will elect president and vice president, as well as members of the House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) at the provincial, municipal, and district levels.

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Translator: Rio F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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