The growth of the digital economy in the Southeast Asia region will experience growth of 6 percent every year. One of the projection data from the East Asia Forum is based on revenue in the e-commerce sector which will reach USD 130 billion in 2022.
On behalf of the Indonesian Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi, Expert Staff to the Minister for Social, Economic and Cultural Affairs R. Wijaya Kusumawardhana stated that digital economic growth is supported by the Government’s commitment to building digital infrastructure.
“ASEAN’s digital economy is projected to grow to reach USD 1 trillion by 2030. Last year in Boracay, Philippines, the ASEAN Business Council met with the United States to discuss future business opportunities in ASEAN, especially in Indonesia. I believe this has opened up many investment opportunities,” he explained in the US-ASEAN Business Council Forum: Optimizing Digital Connectivity in ASEAN at The Ritz Carlton Pacific Place, Jakarta, Tuesday (05/09/2023).
Therefore, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics invites US business people and other stakeholders to participate positively in investment programs in Indonesia.
“Indonesian projects currently underway include data centers, fiber optics, and also the launch of the Indonesian High Throughput Satellite, SATRIA-1, which is a good start for opening up more opportunities for future collaboration in the digital sector,” said SAM for Socio-Economy and Culture .
According to WIjaya Kusumawardhana, the United States and ASEAN have a strong bond, for more than 46 years.
“As an active dialogue partner, we have had quite a number of business agreements, especially in terms of exports and imports, services and investments. Even ASEAN member countries have implemented the main initiatives of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 20225, the 2025 ASEAN Connectivity Master Plan, and the 2025 ASEAN Economic Community. ASEAN is also expanding its role in many sectors, including in the digital sector, such as data storage, ICT infrastructure, data utilization, and data transfer mechanisms, to increase competitiveness and promote a prosperous, resilient and inclusive ASEAN,” he said.
He hopes that the US-ASEAN Business Council Forum will become a vehicle for addressing crucial issues, exploring new lines of cooperation, and reaffirming the partnership between the United States and ASEAN.
“In the spirit of promoting responsible and sustainable investment in Indonesia, I also welcome the discussions and agreements that will take place,” he said.
