JAKARTA: Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid (pic) on Thursday (Jan 9) highlighted Indonesia's readiness to be the centre of the digital ecosystem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), reported Antara news agency.
"Indonesia is a strategic market with the potential that is bigger compared to other countries in Asean," she noted, according to a press release issued by her ministry here.
Hafid said that Indonesia's collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) is part of an effort to make the nation a centre for digital transformation in Asean.
She added that the strategic collaboration with AWS, which ran from 2022 to 2024 and has now been extended, has helped the government respond to the challenges of digital transformation and the development of digital talents in the country.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs is using the collaboration to accelerate the implementation of inclusive, empowering, and trusted digital transformation.
In a meeting at the office of the ministry in Jakarta on Wednesday, the minister asked AWS to increase its investment in Indonesia.
She explained that the data centre capacity in Indonesia, which is projected to grow by 260 per cent in the next few years, holds a huge opportunity for AWS.
AWS has invested US$5 billion in Indonesia since 2021 and the investment value is expected to grow.
"I encourage AWS to provide a more balanced investment proportion in the Asean region, with Indonesia as the main priority," she said.
Hafid further underscored that Indonesia is not only a large technology market but also a strategic one.
Head of public policy for Asia-Pacific and Japan at AWS, Quint Simon, informed that the largest share of AWS' investment has flowed to Indonesia.
He highlighted that Indonesia is a priority for AWS, with an investment commitment of 15 years from 2021 to 2036.
The value of Indonesia's digital economy, which is the largest in Southeast Asia, is projected to reach US$130 billion by 2025.
AWS is committed to supporting the development of Indonesia's digital talents through cloud computing training and certification programmes. - Bernama-Antara
