NEXT: Digital Economy Development Must Focus on Increasing Number of Digital Entrepreneurs
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Rezky Reza Pratama, a researcher at the NEXT Indonesia Center, believes that the development of Indonesia’s digital economy needs to focus on increasing the number of digital business players so that the internet can further drive productivity and increase public income.
According to him, the use of the internet should be directed towards working, entrepreneurship, expanding markets, and creating added value, rather than merely for consumption activities.
“In this way, the digital economy will not only grow large in terms of transactions but will also become an instrument capable of driving the economic mobility of the people,” Reza stated in a written statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
Reza revealed that research by the NEXT Indonesia Center shows the number of people shopping online is increasing from 14.9 million people in 2019 to 54 million people by 2025. Conversely, the number of digital business players has remained stagnant at around 9 million people over the last three years.
According to him, this condition indicates that the e-commerce ecosystem in Indonesia is still stronger as a consumption market than as a space for new business players to grow.
“Digital platforms have succeeded in making it easier for the public to shop. However, the number of people able to move up the ladder to become digital entrepreneurs has not increased as quickly as the growth of consumers. This represents a major challenge for Indonesia’s digital economy agenda,” he said.
Reza stated that the measure of success for the digital economy cannot be seen solely from the large transaction value, but also from the increasing number of people earning income through digital platforms.
Research by the NEXT Indonesia Center also shows that the ability to utilise the internet for economic activities is directly proportional to the level of public welfare.
Therefore, the challenge of developing the digital economy today is no longer limited to expanding internet access, but rather ensuring that the public has the same ability and opportunity to transform digital connectivity into a source of income.
According to Reza, Indonesia has a great opportunity through the group moving towards the middle class, which represents the largest users of the internet and e-commerce in Indonesia.
“If more people in that group utilise digital platforms for entrepreneurship, the impact will not only increase household income but also expand the national business base,” he said.
He emphasised that the main issue for Indonesia’s digital economy today is no longer about who is connected to the internet, but rather who is able to transform that connectivity into economic opportunities.