Private sector, state companies prioritised in it investment: Anies

JAKARTA: Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan highlighted that investment in the information and technology (IT) sector should prioritise the private sector and state-owned companies, reported ANTARA news agency.

Speaking at the final round of the presidential debate on Sunday, Anies said the measure would be strategic in developing a self-sufficient Indonesian IT manufacturing sector.

According to Statistics Indonesia’s (BPS) data, the total value of Indonesia’s smartphone imports in 2023 reached Rp30 trillion (US$1.92 billion).

“We will call all stakeholders involved in IT sector investment. We will provide all their needs, though it will be available for the private sector and state-owned enterprises,“ Anies said.

He assured that all facilities, such as permit and tax facilities, will be provided for business actors in the IT sector if he is elected president alongside his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar as vice president.

Anies said that Indonesia’s self-sufficiency in the IT manufacturing sector will be developed by collaborative means. The state will play its role as a regulator that ensures a healthy ecosystem, he emphasised.

Labour-intensive investments will be prioritised, and they will be enhanced by bureaucracy reform acceleration and anti-corruption measures, he said.

“It will provide more jobs for locals, and there will be three fundamental aspects, namely access, speed, and security,“ he stated.

Besides collaborating with investors and business actors, Anies said he will also seek collaboration with experts in relevant fields to facilitate technology transfer and realise quality and innovative human resources in the IT sector.

The presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs participated in five televised debate rounds before election day on February 14. The first two debates took place on December 12 and 22, 2023, and the next two rounds took place on January 7 and 21, 2024.

In the final debate round on Sunday, presidential candidates will debate about education, health, manpower, culture, information technology, social welfare, and inclusivity. - Bernama, Antara