The Pandemic Has Accelerated The Utilization Of Community Digital Technology, Many New Business Models Appeared

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto encourages the use of digital technology in the traditional market ecosystem. (photo: doc. ekon)

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic, in the last two years, has prompted changes in people's behavior and activities. This then gave rise to a new business model in the community. Furthermore, it also encourages the acceleration of digital technology adoption in Indonesia.

Various community activities are now using digital technology more. Not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of shopping and production. Various online activities in the community, such as online shopping and the use of digital financial services.

The use of digital technology has brought many breakthroughs and innovations in various fields. This is also expected to reach Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially business actors in traditional markets in Indonesia.

"The use of digital technology in the traditional market ecosystem is a demand of the times so that traditional markets can compete, by providing convenience and comfort for both traders and buyers, as well as helping traders reach a wider range of new consumers," said Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto while reviewing Program Implementation. Digitizing the Traditional Market Ecosystem with Grab Indonesia and BNI at Pasar Tomang Barat, Jakarta, Thursday, March 24.

Digitalization, through the use of e-commerce by market traders, is an innovation that has proven to be very helpful and facilitates buying and selling transactions for traders during the pandemic.

The need and urgency of using digital technology in the traditional market ecosystem is also needed in other buying and selling transactions such as the use of e-wallet and e-payment, as well as market management such as rental management, parking fees, and so on.

“MSMEs are Indonesian heroes and the backbone of the Indonesian economy. Therefore, I would like to thank Grab for its role as a facilitator and aggregator for West Tomang Market traders, and also BNI for channeling KUR to support the business expansion needs of traders, either in the form of working capital credit or investment, "said Coordinating Minister Airlangga .

Collaboration between the Government, Grab Indonesia, BNI, and other related parties such as the one at Pasar Tomang Jakarta aims to encourage the transformation of traditional markets through the Traditional Market Ecosystem Digitization program. This program is a form of support for digital transformation efforts as one of Indonesia's main focuses in the G20 Presidency in the economic field.

This collaboration is expected to strengthen the foundation of the traditional market ecosystem, especially in terms of online sales platforms, access to financing, access to cashless payments for consumers, as well as an efficient onboarding process for market traders.

In addition, on this occasion, Coordinating Minister Airlangga also took the time to have a dialogue with a number of market traders who became grabmart merchants while simultaneously handing over the People's Business Credit (KUR) symbolically to four debtors who received BNI KUR.

In 2022 the KUR ceiling has been increased to Rp373.17 trillion, the Government also provides interest subsidies so that KUR interest is 3% until the end of December 2022.

The KUR segmentation which has been divided into super micro, micro, and small KUR can be used for startup businesses from even the smallest scale, and it is hoped that their financing needs can go up in class as the business develops.