Tanah Abang Market Traders 'Ngelunjak' Demands Lazada-Shopee To Be Closed, Trade Minister Reminds Not To Miss The Digital Age

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan when met at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/10/2023). ANTARA/Indra Arief Pribadi

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan invited traders at Tanah Abang Market to enter online commerce through the e-commerce platform in line with consumers' switch in buying goods.

The Minister of Trade also appreciated one of the e-commerce platforms that accommodate micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to sell their products.

"Shopee is no longer imported, but he is selling local products. It helps MSMEs, only now (traders) Tanah Abangnyaayokrespons. Don't come with Shopee right away. Don't do it, it's no longer outside goods, our goods are MSMEs," said Zulkifli when met at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday.

Zulkifli also responded to complaints from Tanah Abang Market traders who asked other e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee to be closed, after the government closed TikTok Shop.

The Trade Minister said the e-commerce platform is now unavoidable as a consumer's goal to buy the goods needed.

He assessed that traders who did not switch to the digital market would be left behind by the times.

"It's unavoidable that the name is a digital platform, it's an era. I said friends at the Tanah Abang market, vegetables are online now, especially markets that sell commercial goods, clothing, shoes, that must also follow apart from offline, online," he said.

The government had previously granted the traders' wishes to organize social media, namely TikTok can no longer sell through TikTok Shop.

TikTok Shop is considered to be the reason for the lack of sales and the decline in the turnover of Tanang Abang traders.

TikTok Shop officially stopped trading on Wednesday (4/10/2023) after the ratification of Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 31 of 2023, which stipulates that social commerce platforms will only facilitate the promotion of goods or services and are prohibited from providing payment transactions.