Indonesia Seeks to Expand Digital Trade

Indonesia is working towards bringing 30 million micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) into the digital market, according to the Indonesian Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Teten Masduki, on Saturday.

Masduki stated, "Ten years ago, only 8 million MSMEs were engaged in e-commerce... Now, changes in consumer behavior have led 22 million companies to enter the digital ecosystem," as reported by Antara News Agency.

During an event held in commemoration of the National Day of Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Surakarta City, Central Java Province, the minister highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic proved beneficial for the digital market in the country.

He added that the restrictions brought about by the pandemic encouraged a significant number of people to opt for online shopping.

Furthermore, the minister expressed optimism that the government will be able to achieve the goal of digitizing 30 million micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging them to make optimal use of digital technology.