Indonesia eTrade Readiness Assessment: National multi-stakeholder consultations

[Video message]

Ambassador Tri Tharyat, Director General for Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia,  

Ms. Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator,  

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I am honoured to address you today at this national multi-stakeholder consultation for Indonesia’s eTrade Readiness Assessment, held in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other key ministries and stakeholders.

Let me also thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia for their generous support, especially in these challenging times.

At UNCTAD, we are proud to be part of this effort to support Indonesia on its journey to leverage the power of digital trade.

According to our latest Digital Economy Report, the global e-commerce market grew from $17 trillion in 2016 to $27 trillion dollars today.

Of these, around $3 trillion relate to cross-border e-commerce. This positive momentum extends to services, too.

Even in a context of growing trade tensions, global services trade is growing at 9% year on year, with most of the momentum coming from digitally delivered services, especially in East Asia and ASEAN.

Indonesia already has a landing ground in this growing market, with an e-commerce economy that is growing 10% year over year and is set to reach the $86 billion mark in 2028.

This is a result of decisive policy action – such as through Making Indonesia 4.0 and the Digital Indonesia Roadmap – and also the rise of homegrown e-commerce unicorns such as “Gojek”, an online platform that is rapidly expanding across the region.

But the potential for growth is still great.

Today, less than 20% of all Indonesians make online purchases. In countries like Sweden, China and the Republic of Korea this number is above 80%.

Furthermore, there is an important digital divide in many of Indonesia’s 17’000 islands, with 30% of its population still not connected to the internet. Infrastructure gaps, regulation, digital literacy and financial inclusion continue to challenge societies in rural and remote areas.

But these gaps are rapidly closing, thanks to the growth, spending power, and talent of the people of Indonesia.

In this sense, our eTrade readiness assessment only seeks to accelerate the efforts that are already taking place, empowering the synergies that already exist and doubling down on the contagious dynamism of the country.

What powers our eTrade assessment is not data alone but dialogue – dialogue that begins here in these multi-stakeholder consultations. Our methodology rests on a simple truth: those closest to the challenges hold the keys to their solutions.

Over the next two days, your insights across five policy domains – from legal frameworks to payment systems – will illuminate paths invisible to outside analysis.

This process builds on our engagement across Indonesia's magnificent archipelago – from Jakarta to North Sumatra to Sulawesi – capturing the diversity that makes Indonesia extraordinary.

As our 41st assessment globally and 4th in ASEAN, we bring a comparative perspective while honoring Indonesia's unique path forward.

We thank you again for your engagement and the support of our partners in this effort.

We are confident in Indonesia’s digital future.

Terima kasih, sekalian.

Thank you, all.