Trade Minister: E-commerce Regulations Must Prioritise Local Products and Transparency

Surakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, stated that electronic commerce or e-commerce regulations must prioritise local products within marketplace showcases, as well as ensure transparency between traders, digital platforms, and consumers.

This comes as the Ministry of Trade has updated the provisions for trade through electronic systems (PMSE) via Minister of Trade Regulation (Permendag) Number 19 of 2026.

“Firstly, we want our local products to be prioritised. Secondly, there must be transparency from the platform to the seller regarding all aspects, including administration. Furthermore, there must be consumer protection,” said Budi when met in Surakarta, Central Java, on Monday.

According to him, trust among the three main actors in the e-commerce ecosystem is essential for advancing digital-based trade activities in Indonesia.

“We want our sellers to be trustworthy sellers with high-quality products. If the products are good and reliable, consumers will certainly be satisfied,” he said.

The man affectionately known as Busan noted that sellers and producers, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), digital trade platforms or marketplaces, and consumers, each have their own roles but are interdependent.

“Therefore, these three must function together. It is impossible for one to operate in isolation. Sellers need platforms, platforms need sellers, and they also need consumers,” the Minister added.

Consequently, he continued, the government must be able to provide protection to all three entities simultaneously through dynamic and relevant regulations.

“Everyone must be protected so that the ecosystem functions well. However, we will continue to evaluate this. By nature, Minister of Trade regulations are dynamic,” he said.

Previously, Minister Budi stated that his ministry is open to further amending e-commerce regulations to keep pace with developments and needs within the digital trade ecosystem.

“If further changes are required, we will implement them, because in principle, the Minister of Trade Regulation is dynamic. Whenever there is a need for change, we will continue to do so,” Budi said during a Working Meeting with Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday (17/9).

This statement was made in response to questions from Commission VI Member Mufti Aimah Nurul Anam regarding the protection of traders on e-commerce platforms, specifically concerning fund retention periods, store closures, and objection mechanisms for traders.