VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A craftsperson tests ventilators at the Agusta MSME industry in Jakarta on April 14, 2020. (ANTARA)

Deputy Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, is pushing the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the help of technology giant Google through the provision of features that support the sector’s operations.

On Friday, May 15, 2020, the deputy minister held a virtual meeting with representatives from Google Indonesia.

At the meeting, Google Indonesia offered assistance to the Government of Indonesia, especially to the COVID-19 Task Force, for handling the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

In a statement received here on Monday, Sambuaga said the assistance could hugely contribute to efforts against COVID-19.

"In this (pandemic) condition, the role of information technology is very important to support the government, business, and community activities. The COVID-19 outbreak must be used as a reason to move towards a more digital economic transformation, in accordance with President Joko Widodo's mandate," he stated.

To achieve that, technological support would be a decisive factor, he added and expressed his appreciation towards Google for the assistance it has provided.

He said he has asked Google Indonesia to help the government hasten the spread and use of technology in eastern Indonesia.

The Deputy Minister stated that the potential in the eastern part of Indonesia needs to be fully utilized. That way, development in eastern Indonesia can progress as quickly as the western region, ensuring better welfare for the people, he explained.

"Eastern Indonesia must continue to be encouraged and also become a priority for development, in order to achieve optimal development of the region. The potential of the region must be reflected through the welfare of its citizens. With the help of Google Indonesia, we can increase the use of technology so that eastern Indonesia can move as fast (in terms of development) as the western region," he continued.

In response, Google Indonesia has committed to continue providing assistance, both for handling COVID-19 as well as for ongoing cooperation.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade and Google will hold a technical meeting to discuss follow-up steps. (ANTARA)