Trade Minister Opens Possibility of E-Commerce Regulation Revision to Protect MSMEs
The Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, has opened the possibility of further amending e-commerce regulations. This step is intended to keep pace with the dynamic developments and requirements within the national digital trade ecosystem.
Budi explained that the Ministry of Trade has recently updated the provisions for Trade Through Electronic Systems (PMSE) via Minister of Trade Regulation Number 1or 2026. However, he emphasised that these regulations are not rigid.
“If changes are required in the future, we will implement them, because fundamentally, Minister of Trade Regulations are dynamic. Whenever there is a need for change, we will continue to do so,” Budi stated during a Working Meeting with Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Minister’s statement was a response to concerns raised by Commission VI member Mufti Aimah Nurul Anam, who highlighted the need for stronger protection for traders on digital platforms. Mufti emphasised the importance of clear rules regarding the duration of fund retention for sellers, reasons for store closures, and fair appeal mechanisms.
“We request that moving forward, rules are established regarding how long a seller’s money is held by them. Likewise, clear reasons must be provided as to why their stores are closed,” Mufti asserted. He also criticised the current appeal mechanism, which is perceived to be dominated unilaterally by the platforms.
Responding to this, Budi stated that several e-commerce platforms have reported progress regarding the implementation of Minister of Trade Regulation Number 19 of 2026. The Ministry of Trade is committed to continuously monitoring these developments and adjusting regulations if new needs are identified in the field.
Beyond regulatory aspects, the government is focusing on building synergy between digital platforms and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The Minister of Trade requested that e-commerce platforms prioritise and protect local products.
“We are continuously building synergy between MSMEs and e-commerce; we are also requesting e-commerce platforms to prioritise our MSME products and protect them,” he added.
According to Ministry of Trade data for 2025, there were 7,887 consumer complaints, of which 99.35 per cent, or 7,836 complaints, originated from online transactions. Of that total, 99.56 per cent of the complaints have been successfully resolved.
Regarding the issue of fund retention, in a separate meeting on 8 September 2026, representatives from Tokopedia and TikTok Shop revealed they had investigated 217 sellers with total funds amounting to Rp24 billion. Of that amount, approximately Rp16.7 billion was categorised as suspected fraud. The platforms stated that the investigation period lasts 90 days and is subject to extension, while still providing sellers the opportunity to lodge an appeal.