Luhut Wants Pedulilindungi COVID-19 App to Have Digital Payment Feature

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan hoped that the Pedulilindungi COVID-19 app developed by the Communication and Information Ministry to be equipped with a digital payment feature.

Luhut said that Indonesia had managed the work on digital payment instruments through QRIS which was initiated by Bank Indonesia.

"Karya Kreatif Indonesia has proven to be able to establish premium products with a digital payment system through QRIS. So it has now expanded. Later, maybe we can try to put it into Pedulilindung, any kind of platform can enter there," Luhut said as broadcasted on Bank Indonesia's YouTube channel on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

The use of the app as a payment system aimed at supporting digital financial inclusion in order to expand the market for local products, such as MSMEs. That way, the Indonesian digital market would be more prepared and competitive both from the upstream and downstream.

Luhut said Indonesia must show the world that it is capable of solving various problems with the latest initiatives. "Let's show the world that Indonesia has changed, not the same country from 10 or 7 years ago. Indonesia is a powerful country that looks to a better tomorrow," said Luhut.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA