Indonesia Palapa Undersea Fiber Ring – Jakarta (ANTARA) – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati admitted to Indonesia not yet having equitable access to digital technology since those residing outside Jakarta capital city and Java Island still encountered difficulties in gaining access to technology.
“In Jakarta, the people can easily access digital technology, though outside the capital city, many regions are not well-served by digital technology. Moreover, (the same holds true) for those living outside Java Island,” Sri Mulyani stated at the Indonesia Fintech Summit & Expo 2019 here on Monday.
The finance minister highlighted the crucial role of digital technology in driving Indonesia’s economy.
The government has continued to invest in infrastructure development, such as the Palapa Ring project, and develop the quality of human resources through education and vocational study in a bid to improve digital technology across the nation, the minister pointed out.
Indonesia Palapa Undersea Fiber Ring is one of Indonesia’s priority infrastructure projects during the 2016-2019 period. The Palapa Ring, involving an undersea fiber-optic cable network stretching across 13 thousand kilometers as well as an onshore network of nearly 22 thousand kilometers, will offer fast broadband internet access to Indonesians in the country’s urban and rural areas.
“We want to ensure no discrimination in terms of access to fintech or digital technology in Indonesia,” she reiterated.
RELATED: Australia Expands Undersea Fiber Cable
Echoing the same opinion, the central bank (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo stated that digital technology can boost economic and financial inclusion in Indonesia.
Warjiyo affirmed that BI, in cooperation with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Indonesian Association of Financial Technology (Aftech), is encouraging start-ups or e-commerce operators to expand their businesses and build an ecosystem for developing digital economy
