Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) just launched the website Ukm market as an e-commerce platform for SMEs. Ukm market, or SME Market, features a number of Indonesian artisan, health, household, and other products.
The inauguration was celebrated in Central Jakarta and attended by Rudiantara, the Minister of Communication and Information (KOMINFO), Ahmad Zaky Amiruddin, CEO of Ukmmarket, Erwin Aksa, Vice Chairman of Kadin SMEs and Cooperatives,
Ukm market aims to promote SMEs and the SME market products. "Through Ukm Market, we want to scrape diverse obstacles faced by SMEs, as well as the struggle and grow with them," Mr.Zaky stated. It is hoped that the platform will also inspire entrepreneurism as it provides support to SMEs amidst the many obstacles they face.
"This industry has no assets, but they have a technology that can combine all the assets that were spreading. Therefore, hopefully with [this digital platform] we can help SMEs to be more competitive and we face competition both from within their own country or from foreign competitors, "stated Vice Chairman of Kadin, Erwin Aksa.
The government leaders recognise the competition is fierce. This platform aims to enhance the ability of SMEs to perform well as there is great potential for growth in e-commerce. “God willing, by 2020 the e-commerce market will reach 130 billion dollars,” stated Mr. Rudiantara. It is expected that growth in e-commerce will lift Indonesia’s overall economic leadership in the region.
In the future, Mr. Erwin Aksa hopes that the platform integrates with banks to make loan approval easier for SMEs.
“In the future we expect to be integrated with banks, with a scoring system, because we also hope that the perpetrators of these SMEs have a scoring system.. This will be easier for the banks to determine the amount of credit, loan size, and so on, so that the loan approval can be faster so that it can go into banking, "said Erwin.
This e-commerce website feeds the need for SMEs to reach out through digital platforms in order to increase their visibility. Mr. Rudiantara emphasised that there is still a long way to go in improving the e-commerce ecosystem in Indonesia. As SMEs can be challenged by connectivity and market reach, Ukm market will provide opportunities for growth beyond their current capacities.
