Covid-19 mitigation strategies and Indonesia’s tech ambition

BECOMING an excellent tech player is arguably the ambition of every country in the region, if not the world, and Indonesia is no different. Yet in order to achieve this status, a country is required to have both physical (ie tech infrastructure and ecosystems) and behavioral (ie collaboration and data-driven mindsets) aspects running in every single element of life.

While the emergence of physical developments reflects Indonesia’s willingness to satisfy the first aspect, the behavioral aspect is still lacking, especially when it comes to the policymaking practices of the government during the Covid-19 pandemic. As I write this, Indonesia has had over 2.3 million cases, and numbers are still rising due to the ongoing second wave. Some international spectators fear that if the situation is not managed properly, it will replicate the crisis India underwent several months ago.