House of Representatives: Global OTT Must Contribute More Fairly to Indonesia

Member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Kawendra Lukistian, has stressed the need for firmer measures in regulating global digital platforms, or Over The Top (OTT) services, which have long exploited the Indonesian market and digital infrastructure. He stated that the contributions made by global digital companies to the state are still not commensurate with the scale of economic value they derive from the Indonesian market.

Kawendra believes Indonesia needs to learn from several countries that have implemented more progressive policies towards global digital platforms. He cited the example of South Korea, which requires OTT services to contribute for the use of telecommunications networks, as well as European countries that enforce stricter regulations on global digital companies.

"We must not allow other parties to merely exploit the market and infrastructure built painstakingly by this nation without providing proportional contributions. There must be fairness so that the benefits of the digital economy are also felt by Indonesia," Kawendra said in an official statement on Friday (26/6/2026).

He highlighted that the national digital economy has reached a value of approximately Rp1,350 trillion, while digital tax revenues remain relatively small compared to the existing potential. Therefore, the government needs to find the right formula so that global digital platforms provide clearer and fairer contributions to the state.

According to Kawendra, strengthening regulations is not intended to hinder innovation or digital investment, but rather to create a balance between the right to utilise the Indonesian market and the obligation to contribute to national development.