Jack Ma Adviser in Indonesia, Govt Guarantees No Intervention

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Founder of Alibaba Group Jack Ma is set to be an adviser for the Indonesian e-commerce steering committee. He will be given the role as an advisor for the development of electronic trades.

The Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara guarantees that the Jack Ma’s presence will not intervene with Indonesia’s national economic policy. “I have already stated that our national interest is the upmost priority. There will be more Indonesian sources, and the policy making will still be coming from the Coordinating Minister of Economics,” he said.

According to Rudiantara, Jack Ma was asked to join so that the government can learn from his vast experiences regarding strengthening the economic sovereignty. Just as Alibaba whose the majority of the shareholder comes from offshore sources but can still be controlled by China.

“Look at Jack Ma, [do you know] how much is his share in Alibaba? Only 8 percent, [but] who owns the majority of its shares? Japan and the United States. But it is still under the control of China, we must learn from that,” said Rudiantara.

Rudiantara further explained that Jack Ma’s role will focus on developing the human resources and assisting the Indonesian government in pushing Indonesia to become Asia’s human resources development center for the region’s digital economy.

ALFAN HILMI