JAKARTA, January 26, 2022
– Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Informatics involved various parties to discuss three priority issues of the Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) Forum in Indonesia’s G20 Presidency 2022.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics Mira Tayyiba, who serves as Chair of DEWG, stated that cross-sectoral cooperation to discuss Connectivity and Post-Covid Recovery, Digital Literacy and Digital Talent, and Cross Border Data Flow/Data Free Flow with Trust will involved National Knowledge Partners and National Strategic Stakeholders.
“On this occasion, we open up opportunities for collaboration with any parties. We are collaborating with academics from the University of Indonesia (UI), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Padjadjaran University (Unpad), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as our knowledge partners,” she told the G20 Media Gathering which was held on hybrid mode in Central Jakarta, Wednesday (Jan 26, 2022).
According to Mira Tayyiba, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics also involved National Strategic Stakeholders as well as other ministries and institutions to discuss digital issues relevant to their respective sectors.
“For example, discussions on employment with the Ministry of Manpower, education with the Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology. On top of that, we also collaborate with business, associations, e-commerce, big data, cyber security, connectivity, digital literacy, we invite all,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the National Strategic Stakeholders involved the Big Data and AI Association, the Indonesian Telematics Society, the national digital literacy collective Siberkreasi, the Indonesian e-Commerce Association, the Indonesia Cyber Security Forum, and the Indonesia Internet Service Provider Association.
“So we expect DEWG to deliver real programs that are relevant for all, not only for developed countries, but also developing countries. Also to become our common platform because we have to work together,” she explained.
Covering All Aspects
DEWG G20 Chair explained that the DEWG forum is a digital issue that covers all aspects of development, especially those related to the Covid-19 pandemic which impacted all sectors.
“There are many issues to be discussed on the Sherpa track, from trade, industry, education, health, and more. It is a working group managed by ministries and institutions. Almost all of them raise digital issues, whether in relation with education or employment,” she said.
According to Mira Tayyiba, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics was given a mandate from the Sherpa Track as the leader of DEWG to become the “class president” for cross-sectoral digital issues.
“The ministry’s task is to streamline all digital issues to make them coherent and cohesive. For example, the women empowerment or the children protection issue will be answered with digital literacy, later we will also answer it with online safety,” she said.
The Ministry is committed to using the momentum of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency not only to bring the digital sector through the three DEWG issues nationally and internationally.
“So not only we are fighting for these issues globally, but we are also using this opportunity to consolidate the management of national digital issues. It’s not surprising if all sectors talk about digital issue, because it is fluid, it can be used by many people,” explained the DEWG Chair.
Supporting DEWG Assemblies
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, who also serves as Co-Chair of DEWG, Dedy Permadi, stated that the involvement of National Knowledge Partners was to discuss and formulate the substance of the DEWG forum assemblies.
“We involve National Knowledge Partners or national substance partners consisting of UI, UGM, Unpad, and CSIS Indonesia. The four National Knowledge Partners together with MCI prepare the substance of the assemblies. We also invite other stakeholders to work together to support the success of the G20 this,” he explained
Dedy Permadi explained the four partners were chosen for it is expected to gain substances from the assemblies during DEWG forums.
“The consideration is that we are trying to be as inclusive as possible, while not everyone can be involved. So we see that substance wise, we can complement each other with knowledge partners,” he said.
Previously, Dedy Permadi explained about the birth of the G20 Presidency which was motivated by global problems. Starting from the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, which later escalated into the Global Financial Crisis.
“And this forum was formed because in the past, the G7 was not enough to answer the problems, and they were trying to involve not only rich countries, but also the middle class countries. Thus the G20 was formed, which has answered global problems even from the beginning of its formation,” he explained.
Along the way, there were many global issues which the presence of the G20 forum had helped address, including the 2008 global economic crisis which hit again and slumped Indonesia.
“Through those crisis, G20 was part of the world problem solution. This include when the Covid-19 hit, we have the G20 forum which made endeavours to discuss the solution. In the Finance Track, for example, debt payment rescheduling is made so that countries can survive in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Dedy Permadi.
Dedy Permadi emphasized that digital issues are very important for Indonesia, because since 2019, Indonesia has been fighting for a promotion of class level from a task force to a working group.
“Indonesia has been fighting for it since 2019 and in 2020 it continued the fight and the class level up was agreed. So, Indonesia is the first country to lead the digital economy working group at the G20 forum,” he concluded.***
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