VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Ministry of Trade will monitor e-commerce sites that do not provide a digital space for showcasing and selling national products, Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga has said.

"The ministry is clear that, for Indonesian-made products, there should be an affirmative policy," he informed after attending the Digital Economy Forum held by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics here on Monday.

"We also monitor and observe e-commerce. If they do not strive to provide an opportunity for Indonesian products on their site, this may become an evaluation material," he said.

This aligns with the instruction of President Joko Widodo, who has expressed the wish to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and provide a space for Indonesian products.

"We from the Ministry of Trade are ready to facilitate this," Sambuaga remarked.

The ministry will also observe how much support e-commerce sites provide to national products, he informed.

When it comes to regulations, the Ministry of Trade will collaborate with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, wherein the latter will dictate more rules on the issues of data and privacy.

Meanwhile, the former will dictate rules for the commercial side such as trade, products, and business permits.

"This will certainly be collaborated by us to prioritize Indonesian products," the deputy minister said.

After Monday’s forum, Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny G. Plate also urged e-commerce platforms to provide more space for domestically-made products.

The quality of domestic products is a match for foreign products. However, MSME products should still be pushed in order to improve their quality.

The forum held by Plate's ministry discussed the role of e-commerce in assisting the government's spending policy for local products.

The event was also attended by Minister of Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Teten Masduki, as well as Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA) chairman Bima Laga.  (Antaranews)