Indonesia’s largest economy is hampered by the difficult administrative procedures involved in organizing activities, especially those for concerts, according to President Joko Widodo.  ,
He cited the case of music singer Taylor Swift, for example, who performed her songs in Singapore rather than Indonesia.  ,
Why does Singapore manage to number these occasions consistently? At the launch of a digital licensing service event in Jakarta on Monday ( Jun 24 ), Mr. Widodo was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia as saying that their effective service had helped them attract these artistes.
Taylor Swift’s” The Eras Tour” ended in Singapore earlier this year, with six sold-out shows taking place between March 2 through March 4 and March 7 through March 9. The news broke in the internet that Singapore and Swift had agreed to make the Republic her only South Asian stop on her global journey.  ,
According to Mr Widodo, a large percentage of Swift’s crowd in Singapore comprised Citizens, referencing Spotify data that shows 2.2 million Citizens are viewers of the artiste.  ,
He added that a significant factor is the government’s complete support from Singapore in facilitating access and ensuring protection for international activities.
” I asked the ( local ) organisers, and they said our licensing process is too complicated”, said Mr Widodo.  ,
He further cited the yearly Mandalika Moto GP celebration held in West Nusa Tenggara as an example of Indonesia’s bulky licensing system, which is a major barrier to attracting more global activities.  ,
According to Mr. Widodo, the event’s organizers needed 13 various grants and recommendation letters to hold the event.  ,
Mr. Widodo described the economic impact of losing out on organizing internationally renowned events as saying that money is flowing from Indonesia to Singapore, which has left his nation with a financial loss.
” So there was money discharge, as Indonesia’s wealth went to Singapore. Not only were we losing money on music tickets, but also. But we were even losing money as people spent their money on accommodations, transportation, food, and drink”, he said, according to a record by The Jakarta Globe.
Economists estimated that Swift’s concert could contribute up to S$ 500 million ( US$ 369 million ) in tourism revenue for Singapore’s economy.  ,
Mr. Widodo claimed that a situation that was almost identical occurred when Singapore hosted the British stone group Coldplay for six times in January. The group just performed one night in Jakarta next November at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium as part of its Music Of the Spheres earth trip next month.  ,
Mr. Widodo stressed the need for Indonesia to reduce its licensing program in order to make it more affordable for organisers to hold events involving unusual artists, in the hope that the process will be simplified in the future.  ,
” With the impending automation of permits, I hope it will not only get a web company but really provide ease of control, advance certainty, lower bureaucracy, and lead to lower costs while being more receptive and transparent”, he said.