TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - During the TikTok Southeast Asia Impact Forum, Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Pandjaitan openly declared the government’s openness to the Chinese social media platform’s plan to invest in Indonesia.

“We positively welcome TikTok to invest in Indonesia. Doing business here is always welcomed but please don’t go into politics,” Luhut said at the event on Friday, June 15, 2023.

Luhut also expressed his hopes for TikTok content creators to avert from using the platform to dwell in identity politics and cause dissension. “Use TikTok the proper way. It’s okay to touch on politics but don’t [create content] that causes dispute. Use it to educate,” said Luhut according to an official press release dated Thursday, Junr 14, 2023.

Luhut also asserted the country’s abundance that has not been fully understood by the younger generation.

"Sometimes we don't see the potential that Indonesia has,” said Luhut. “You, the younger Indonesian generation, must understand how wealthy our country is. This country is extremely huge, no one can look down on our country."

Luhut also stated that Indonesia’s digital economy is in constant growth and claimed that the country's potential is evident in the digital economy in Indonesia in 2022 which logged a total value of US$ 77 billion.

This also shows how the country's economic resilience as one of the best among the G20 member countries which are currently experiencing a global economic slowdown, he elaborated.

"In the last 36 months, our exports have always logged surpluses, we are still on target to be a developed country by 2035," he said.

Based on these claimed sets of data, Luhut encouraged content creators to reclaim national pride. "All you of Indonesia's younger generation need to be proud of this country," he said.

At the event, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that the video-sharing platform will help develop Indonesian MSMEs through a number of programs that include digital skills training projects in Indonesia.

RR ARIYANI | REUTERS

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo in Google News