Small Medium Enterprises to Receive Benefits from IORA Summit

JAKARTA, IORA - Business players of Small Medium Enterprises (UKM) should consider the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit as a momentum to promote their products directly to the IORA member states. "The people must be brave to start marketing the UKM products to the IORA member states by using digital technology," Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara said on Friday (3/3). According to the Minister, as many as 2.7 million people of IORA member states' population could be target to market the products of Indonesian UKM. Moreover, the Government is now developing telecommunications infrastructure which will help the UKM. "We are now preparing our new market in Indian Ocean," Rudiantara added. Rudiantara also said that the condition of telecommunications development can be noticed from telecommunications companies' efforts to develop telecommunications network to the west. Indian Ocean market is expected to has economic potential considered as a powerful market in the world. "Currently, telecommunications operator is aiming at the west to materialize the digital economy," the Minister stated. As a maritime country, Indonesia must make the most of Indonesia's position as a gateway for Pacific and Indian Ocean. To date, Indonesia allegedly has only prioritized the markets in Pacific Ocean states without exploiting the markets in Indian Ocean states. "They will be our new market in order to rank fifth in the world. With digital technology, our UKM can contibute to the GDP (gross domestic product) in the next 15 to 30 years," Rudiantara concluded. (Tri Antoro/Juliyah)