The Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Informatics to Elevate MSME Digitalization in Eastern Indonesia

Only 30% of MSME operators in the area utilize the internet for their business processes.

SORONG, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Informatics recently launched a digital literacy program to widespread digital transformation and technology in Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia. Hosted in collaboration with the National Digital Literacy Movement (GLND) Siberkreasi, the program targets micro and small-medium enterprises (MSME) in the area.

Sorong, located in Eastern Indonesia, is well-known by the rich of natural resources such as agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry, mining, and untapped potential in the tourism sector. The majority of MSMEs in the area come from the retail and trade sector, followed by the food and beverage sector. However, digital literacy in the region remains poor; over 70% of MSMEs claimed that they have never used the internet for their business processes.

To improve digital literacy in the area, Digital Literacy Week opened with a two-day on and off-screen workshop and training sessions is Sorong, West Papua on September 23, 2021. Enthusiasm soared high from the local audiences, with over 600 participants joining the sessions.

Creating digital equity in Eastern Indonesia

The program kicked off with two main sessions. The first one was “Digital Literacy Talk”, which introduced digital literacy skills for MSMEs such as optimizing digital technology, social media, and cyber security for MSMEs. The speaker line-up for the event’s first session included Donny B.U, expert staff from the Ministry of Communications and Informatics; Teguh Hidayat Iskandar Alam, the head of the Institute for the Assessment of Competition and Business Policy (LKPU) in Sorong; and Siti Ashter, a representative of MSME in Sorong.

“We have a high internet penetration rate, as 91% of the people in Sorong are active internet users,” said Teguh Hidayat, “However, MSMEs’ digital literacy skills in Eastern Indonesia, including Sorong, are still lacking.”

A recent report shows that over 30% of MSME operators in Eastern Indonesia have no knowledge in social media. Moreover, 40% stated that they are not sure how social media may help their business. The session aimed to address this stumbling block, while allowing participants to explore the potentials of social media for their business.

Uplifting the MSMEs with high-quality content

Meanwhile, the program’s second session, “Knowledge-sharing: How to create inspiring content” focuses on building awareness about high-quality content production with the responsible use of digital technology. The session brought in public figure Nicholas Saputra; Coordinator of the Ministry’s Digital Literacy Programm Rizki Amelia; and renowned photographer and videographer, Michael G. Buyung.

“Digital technology, if used properly, can empower MSMEs. Embracing knowledge of common digital tools, such as photography and videography, can help MSMEs to elevate their businesses and add more values to their products,” said Nicholas Saputra.

Sorong’s Digital Literacy Week also hosts content competition, free training classes, and webinars for the general public, covering various digital literacy skills. Free training classes and webinars are available at info.literasidigital.id.

About The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia through Ditjen Aptika has the primary function of spreading and developing the national digital infrastructure to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation.

The Ministry is working with National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi as its partner to provide education on digital literacy to the broader public through various forms of media. This movement is focused on using digital literacy as a way to elevate the national capability and to further the Indonesian people.

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