Daily Times

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that the G20 should tackle inequality in digital access and digital infrastructure in countries by mobilizing investment in the sector, accroding to ANTARA News Agency.

“We must tackle this inequality.

The G20 must be able to mobilize investment to be able to build digital infrastructures that are affordable for all,” the president noted at session III of the G20 Summit at the Apurva Kempinski Bali, Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Wednesday. G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

The G20 Summit was held in Bali on November 15-16, 2022. The president highlighted the importance of equal digital access in the world as the first out of the three focus areas pertaining to digital transformation to accelerate global economic recovery.

According to the head of state, as many as 2.9 billion people worldwide are not yet connected to the internet, including 73 percent of people in less developed countries.

In addition, he noted that as many as 390 million people in the world still live in areas without wireless internet. The second area prioritized by the president is digital literacy. He stressed that digital literacy is not a choice but a must.

President Jokowi noted that digital literacy should reach all people, so they can participate in economic development in future. “The G20 must be able to drive cooperation in strengthening digital capacity for developing countries,” he stated.

For the third area of focus, he spotlighted the importance of a safe digital ecosystem. He believes that hoaxes and cyberbullying will cause disunity and threaten democracy.

“Data breaches due to cybercrimes have the potential to cause economic losses of up to five trillion US dollars in 2024. For this reason, digital security and privacy protection must be guaranteed,” he remarked. The president remarked that the G20 should build trust in the digital sector, including through global digital governance. “We must collaborate to ensure that digital (technologies) benefits can be felt equally by all,” he affirmed.