Impact of Information and Communication Technology on The Welfare of Population in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries in the world are expected to experience a slowdown or decrease in Human Development Index (HDI) growth including Indonesia. The disparities in development among regions to be one of the main issues in Indonesia. The gaps are not only occurring in HDI, but also in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities between Western Indonesia and Eastern Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to analyze how Information and Communication Technology affects the Welfare of the Population in Eastern Indonesia. Research methods use multiple linear regression methods. The data is sourced from the BPS-Statistics Indonesia which consists of 17 provinces. The results showed that the percentage of internet users had a positive and significant effect while the percentage of the poor population had a negative and significant effect on the welfare of the population in eastern Indonesia. Therefore, the distribution of infrastructure, especially ICT infrastructure, does not only focus on western Indonesia. Therefore, it is expected that the population welfare gap will be reduced. The increasing use of the internet during the Covid-19 pandemic can be used as an opportunity to be used as a bridge for the distribution of information, communication, and digital-based economic development in order to achieve equitable welfare, especially in eastern Indonesia.

Determinants Of Human Development Index In Papua Province 2012-2021

“…Similarly, in long-term estimation, the probability for the ICT variable is 0.318, also exceeding the significance level of 0.05, signifying that ICT has no impact on HDI in the long run. This discovery is different from previous research conducted by (Al-Mursyid, 2019;Dewi et al, 2021;Saputra et al, 2022) who stated that the development of the ICT has a positive effect on HDI. These previous studies indicated that a higher level of information and communication technology correlates with an elevated quality of human development in each country.…”

“…In Indonesia, the government has initiated efforts to enhance education by instituting a mandatory 12-year education program. The implementation of this 12-year compulsory education program is anticipated to enhance the overall quality of education and consequently, improve the caliber of the human resources in the country, as mentioned in the study by Dewi et al (2021). However, it's noteworthy that in Papua Province, the average length of schooling stands at 6.76 years, which is roughly equivalent to completing elementary school education.…”

“…ICT serves as a crucial benchmark for gauging the level of ICT development in each region, facilitating comparisons across time and between different areas. Additionally, it enables the assessment of ICT growth, the digital divide between regions, and the potential for ICT development, as highlighted by Dewi et al (2021). Nevertheless, it's noteworthy that ICT does not appear to influence HDI in the context of Papua.…”