Digitization has broad benefits, and the state budget is an essential instrument to continue to develop Indonesia’s economic digitization transformation foundation
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stressed the importance of the state budget as the basis of Indonesia’s digital transformation.
“Digitization has wide benefits, as well as the state spending budget is a good essential device to keep in order to develop Indonesia’s economic digitization transformation base, ” Indrawati stated at the “Digitization because Corruption Prevention Medium” webinar here, Wednesday.
The minister said that budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic had affected all government ministries and institutions, except those working in the health and digital change sector.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government decided to increase the electronic transformation budget, as residents were compelled to adopt digital technology in various aspects of their life due to restriction in pandemic-related activities, she stated.
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Continued investment in the digital transformation sector also demonstrated the government’s commitment to bolstering electronic development, she pointed out.
“This is a certainty that we could no longer delay and sacrifice even during the outbreak, and we must instead accelerate expense (in the particular sector), ” Indrawati mentioned.
She pointed out that will the Ministry of Communication and Informatics is one of the only several authorities ministries whose budget continues to boost through the years.
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While the ministry’s budget was only Rp20 trillion (US$1. 34 billion) in 2019, the spending budget in 2021 and 2022 are Rp26 trillion (US$1. 74 billion) and Rp27 trillion (US$1. 80 billion) respectively, the particular minister stated.
The ministry’s budget will certainly be disbursed to develop the digital infrastructure foundation, including developing 4G BTS in some 4, 200 villages and electronic infrastructure within remote plus border regions, to ensure residents can enjoy digital access.
The development in digital transformation is also an effort to reduce corrupt practices in the government, since per President Joko Widodo’s instruction, the girl stated.
“This is consistent with the president’s instruction that opportunities for corrupt methods in transactions can be suppressed through development of the particular digital platform, ” Indrawati emphasized.
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