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The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) released research entitled “The Role of Digital Platforms in the Development of MSMEs in Indonesia” on January 25. This research shows the positive impact of using digital platforms on the development of MSME businesses in Indonesia.
In general, this research reveals that the use of digital platforms in business can help MSME players increase business turnover and create new jobs.
Despite these various positive impacts, MSME players in the field still often face challenges in optimizing the use of digital platforms. Some of the main challenges are the intense competition between business actors on digital platforms (96.46 percent) and the lack of workforce skills in using digital platforms (83.46 percent).
This data is in line with the Status of Digital Literacy in Indonesia 2023, the results of a collaborative survey by the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) with the Katadata Insight Center (KIC), the total value of Indonesia's digital literacy index in 2023 is only at level 3.65. This figure is still relatively low to achieve the maximum index target of level 5.
To help improve the digital skills of Indonesian MSME players, several e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and Tokopedia are actively holding various MSME training programs. This training program aims to help MSMEs move up in class and even be able to reach the global market.
Through this training, MSMEs can learn the most basic topics such as creating an e-commerce shop, managing an online shop, increasing orders using various features and campaign programs, and how to reach buyers abroad.
Photo: Riza Damanik, Expert Staff for Inter-Institutional Relations, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs at the MSME Transformation Event to Grasp Digital Opportunities in 2024/ Photo: special doc
INDEF research revealed several examples of MSME training programs held by e-commerce platforms, including Blibli University, Shopee MSME (Export) Campus, Tokopedia Seller Express School, Tiktok Seller University, and Lazada University. INDEF research results show that 34.65 percent of the total MSME respondents knew information about MSME training program initiatives held by e-commerce platforms.
INDEF research notes that the MSME training program held by Shopee is the program that is most widely known by MSMEs compared to MSME training programs from other e-commerce. The three MSME training programs most widely known by MSMEs are the Shopee MSME (Export) Campus (25.98 percent), the Shopee Export Program (17.32 percent), and the Tokopedia Seller Express School (6.30 percent).
In the INDEF public discussion event to present the research results, Expert Staff for Inter-Institutional Relations, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Riza Damanik also conveyed the importance of collaboration between the government and existing digital companies to continue providing assistance in encouraging the MSME digitalization program. “Collaboration initiatives with companies such as Shopee, Lazada and others are already underway. We are also trying to encourage them to be more active and involved in continuing to provide assistance, apart from what has been done by the government. We hope that engagement can also be greater,” explained Riza Damanik.
Efforts to improve the digital skills of MSME players require cooperation from all parties, including the government, the industrial sector and the wider community. The presence of the MSME digital training program held by this e-commerce platform can certainly help the government encourage the digitalization of MSMEs. Based on data from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, the government is currently targeting 50% of digital MSMEs by 2030.
(agn)
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