Highlight TikTok 'Kill' Local Entrepreneurs, Commission VI Of The House Of Representatives Questions The Role Of The Ministry Of Trade

Illustration of TikTok (Photo: Doc. TikTok)

JAKARTA - TikTok's social media has recently been in the spotlight for penetrating as e-commerce and selling various products. Commission VI of the House of Representatives considers this to be detrimental to local producers, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

This was conveyed by Member of Commission VI DPR RI Evita Nursanty in a working meeting of Commission VI of the DPR with the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs and Deputy Minister of Trade, at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 12.

Evita said the price of products offered by sellers on TikTok is much cheaper. In fact, it is considered unreasonable for business actors.

"Sometimes the price doesn't make sense, there is Madurasa, the price is Rp1,000. It's clear dumping," said Evita.

Therefore, Evita also asked the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) to intervene to supervise to protect local business actors.

"This should be in Trade. If there is, what are they doing, because I can say I failed to supervise," he said.

Although technology penetration cannot be dammed, Evita assessed that the Ministry of Trade still has to control online trading, especially on social media.

Moreover, he continued, TikTok has an algorithm that prioritizes Chinese imported products. Evita assessed that this could make MSME products less competitive in their own homes.

"I want to sell anything, no matter how it is done, in conjunction with TikTok, it won't be, because surely Chinese products will sell better. That's why the algorithm has been played by TikTok," he said.

Similarly, Member of Commission VI DPR RI Harris Turino assessed that local entrepreneurs cannot host in their own country because of the lack of partiality from the government.

Our e-commerce market is very large, but those who enjoy it are other parties, so we don't host it in our own country. We can't limit technology, but from the Ministry of Trade it is necessary to make rules that show the government's alignment with Indonesian MSMEs," said Harris.