QRIS elevates MSMEs in Ambon
A single black and white code may occupy very little space on a table. However, behind every mobile phone scan lies a shift in the mindset of Ambon’s residents regarding transactions and business management, marking their steady steps towards the future.
As the sun rises over Ambon City, the sea breeze carries the characteristic scent of the coast across the stalls of traders displaying their goods. Amidst the rows of worn banknotes and the clinking of coins that have long been the lifeblood of local trade, a different sight can be seen tucked into the corner of wooden cashier tables: a printed square black and white code.
A customer approaches, orders breakfast, and reaches into their pocket. Instead of a thick wallet filled with rupiah notes, they pull out a mobile phone. They point the camera directly at the code. Within seconds, the screen lights up, and a subtle notification chime breaks the morning silence. The transaction is completed without a single word about change or the need to count banknotes.
This scene is no longer exclusive to the large cities on Java. From simple eateries and coffee shops where locals exchange stories to night culinary stalls in the corners of Amton Manise, the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) is slowly but surely displacing old habits. Digital technology is beginning to creep in, complementing the warmth of face-to-face transactions among local residents.
This lifestyle shift provides fresh momentum for the Ambon City Government. The community’s growing familiarity with digital code scanning is viewed as a vital opportunity to encourage micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to leap further into the modern economic ecosystem.
Working hand-in-hand with the Bank Indonesia Maluku Representative Office, the local government continues to engage directly within the community’s economic spaces. Through patient education and field assistance, they are inviting small traders to break boundaries, transforming a printed code on a cashier’s table into Ambon’s gateway to a digital economic future.
The movement towards digitalisation in Ambon has become increasingly tangible since March 2024. The efforts of the Ambon City Government, alongside Bank Indonesia Maluku, have moved beyond mere written advisories to active engagement with MSME players.
Through consumer protection education and assistance in QRIS merchant acquisition, public spaces such as the Wainitu Public Open Space (RTP), Air Salobar, and the Amahusu area have been transformed into living laboratories for the community’s digital economy.
For the Ambon City Government, MSMEs are the backbone of the local economy and must not be left stagnant. Providing trading stalls is not enough; creating an ecosystem that is relevant to modern developments is key to ensuring small traders are not left behind by the tide of modernisation.