Heaptalk, Jakarta — Indonesia’s President, Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo, inaugurated the Indonesia Digital Test House (IDTH) at the Telecommunications Equipment Testing Center (BBPPT) in Depok, West Java.
During his remarks, this country leader emphasized the significance of Indonesia’s transformation from a consumer to a producer, specifically in the global technology industry. Jokowi also highlighted the need for more local suppliers to participate in global supply chains.
“I expect that we are not only become spectators and target markets for other countries. However, we must be players and technology inventors,” added the Seventh President of Indonesia.
According to his statement, the use of devices in Indonesia is still dominated by imported products, with an import value of above USD1.8 billion, equals to Rp30 trillion. Ironically, according to the President, only two of Apple’s 320 global suppliers came from Indonesia.
This number is far behind other ASEAN countries, such as the Philippines (17 suppliers), Malaysia (19 suppliers), Thailand (24 suppliers), and Vietnam (72 suppliers). From an ASEAN market perspective, Jokowi said that Indonesia’s GDP has the most significant portion, contributing 46% towards ASEAN GDP.
For this reason, Jokowi affirmed that the IDTH inauguration will be a catalyst for breaking the existing paradigm. As an international standard equipment testing facility, Jokowi claims that IDTH is Southeast Asia’s most complete technology testing facility. With an investment value of nearly USD62 million (around Rp1 trillion), this facility possessed sophisticated equipment for testing various digital devices, from laptops to radar.
“In this facility, we will examine all digital devices before they are marketed, ensuring the fulfillment of users’ safety when operating these digital devices,” affirmed Joko Widodo.
Apart from being a certification testing center, the President also mandated Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics to affiliate with local universities, startups, and MSMEs to encourage research and patents and support the development of local product certification.
“Digitalization is the basis for domestic industrial and economic development by placing local producers as kings in their own country,” President Joko Widodo concluded.
