Google Indonesia Boss About YouTube Will Make An E-Commerce Business: There Is No Plan Yet

Managing Director of Google Indonesia Randy Jusuf. Photo: (Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Google Indonesia responded to the YouTube platform which is known to spread its wings by expanding into the e-commerce business in Indonesia.

However, it turns out that the plan is still at the assessment stage.

Google Indonesia Managing Director Randy Jusuf said that until now there is no YouTube plan to penetrate the e-commerce business, even though the e-commerce function on YouTube is already available in various countries.

"For now, YouTube has no plans to add shopping features. From the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) side, because of this (rules), right, it's only the end of October," Randy told reporters at the Google Indonesia Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, November 7.

Randy said that his party is still analyzing the Regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) Number 31 of 2023 concerning Business Licensing, Advertising, Guidance, and Supervision of Business Actors in Trade Through Electronic Systems.

"So, it's quite new, to be honest, we are still analyzing the details as to what. Currently, we are still in the phase of analyzing it," he said.

Even so, Google Indonesia does not deny that the YouTube commerce feature already exists in various parts of the world.

"Globally it is available, but in the future there are still no more plans because the regulations are still being analyzed. The important thing is that the shopping feature is all kinds of things, right. So, for now there are still no plans to add certain features from shopping," he added.

Launching from Reuters, TikTok and YouTube are known to be considering joining Meta in applying for an e-commerce license in Indonesia.

This follows the closure of the TikTok Shop online buying and selling feature in Indonesia last September.

The Jokowi administration itself has banned social media platforms from playing double roles as e-commerce, according to the provisions of Permendag 31/2023.

The rules are made to protect local MSMEs, create a fair competition climate for all marketplaces, and protect user data.

Reuters reports TikTok plans to apply for an e-commerce license in Indonesia and is exploring the best mechanism for re-runing its business.

This information was revealed by three internal sources who are familiar with ByteDance's subsidiary plans.