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Banyuwangi regent and Grab sign MoU on developing digital economy
The Banyuwangi regency administration is collaborating with Grab Indonesia to develop the digital economy in the region.
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(Courtesy of Pemkab Banyuwangi)
T
he Banyuwangi regency administration is collaborating with Grab Indonesia to develop the digital economy in the region. The collaboration was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas and Grab Indonesia Country Managing Director Neneng Goenadi in the regency’s pavilion on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed by Grab Indonesia East Indonesia Director Halim Wijaya.
Neneng said the development of the digital economy could benefit all layers of society in Indonesia, including the people of Banyuwangi, especially during the pandemic.
“The collaboration is expected to develop initiatives useful to support the digital economy in Banyuwangi. By taking advantage of inclusive and safe technology that Grab has developed, Grab will help Banyuwangi develop various sectors in order to continually propel the economy in Banyuwangi,” Neneng said.
Halim explained that the collaboration focused on developing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and tourism.
Grab will digitalize MSMEs in the region so that they can adapt to the changes taking place and can sustain themselves during the pandemic by taking advantage of the digital platform. The MSMEs will be given access to training, technology, skills and digital services.
Promising agricultural potential
Meanwhile, in the tourism sector, Grab will support businesses through integrated transportation services and e-ticketing related to tourist destinations in Banyuwangi through the Grab app.
“We will help promote Banyuwangi. We will sell tickets and Banyuwangi attractions through the Grab application, which has been downloaded more than 205 million times,” Halim said.
Halim added that Grab had also launched GrabProject – a transportation service with additional security and protection, in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19. The service is embodied through Grab’s fleets, namely GrabCar and GrabBike protect.
“This affirms our commitment to helping the people of Banyuwngi. Today we’re making an investment in Banyuwangi by launching a fleet of 100 GrabProtect cars and motorcycles. With this service, the people of Banyuwangi can conduct activities safely and in comfort without being worried about the possibility of contracting COVID-19,” Halim asserted.
GrabProtect is complete with three new features to support safety and health for both driver and passenger.
Meanwhile, Regent Anas expressed the hope that the collaboration would spur digital economic activity in Banyuwangi. The Banyuwangi administration wanted to take utmost advantage of the presence of Grab to propel the economy in the regency, which was affected by the pandemic.
“We hope that the collaboration will not only drive economic growth but also spur people’s economic equity,” Anas said.
Anas expressed hope that the collaboration could extend to other key sectors, such as agriculture.
“Currently, we are exploring the right formula to tackle the problem of supply and demand in the agriculture sector. Given the agricultural potential of Banyuwangi, we hope Grab as a technology company can collaborate with us to develop the agriculture sector,” Anas concluded.
