TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Following the closure of TikTok Shop, traders in the Tanah Abang Market called on the government to also shut down e-commerce sites, such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia. Their demand recently made headlines and went viral on social networking sites.
As widely reported, the short video-sharing app TikTok halted its e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, following the issuance of the Trade Minister’s Regulation No. 31 of 2023, which restricts social commerce. The government issued the ban in an effort to protect local market products from illegal imports which are sold at prices lower than market competitors.
The recent demand to restrict e-commerce platforms sparked various reactions from netizens. Some say that they choose to shop online because of time and energy efficiency. Some argue that it is conventional traders who need to keep up with the technology.
In response, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan alias Zulhas stressed that it was impossible for the government to grant the request.
“Digitalization is inevitable. It will be digitalized over time. That’s why it’s regulated,” Zulhas said when met at ITC Cempaka Mas, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
Therefore, he called on traditional market traders, including Tanah Abang Market traders, to start selling their products online. The government, he added, would help traders to comprehend online sales if needed.
Source: Tempo News
