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Today's Headlines Digital Economy
Over the past year, we released two stories on the merger of Gojek and Tokopedia, two Indonesian tech companies that have evolved into huge companies over the past decade (with Gojek having turned into a Decacorn and Tokopedia into a unicorn).
On Thursday (06.01.2022) Indonesia Investments released the December 2021 edition of its monthly report. This report discusses a range of subjects - related to political developments, the economy and social matters - that were important and influential issues in Indonesia in the month of December 2021.
While the digital economy of the Southeast Asian region was already developing at a very fast rate prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 crisis, it was this crisis that would act as a catalyst for even more rapid development of the region’s digital economy.
In recent months most attention went to the merger of Indonesian ‘superapp’ Gojek and e-commerce giant Tokopedia – including their plans to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). But we should not forget that another Indonesian e-commerce giant (and tech startup unicorn), called Bukalapak, is scheduled to list on the IDX on 6 August 2021.
Although we already discussed the (then-looming) merger between Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (Gojek) and Tokopedia in detail in our January 2021 report, we do feel it is justified to cover this topic once more – albeit slightly more succinct this time – since it is now official (announced on 17 May 2021) that both sides re to merge, thus creating a massive entity (named GoTo) with an impressive and unique ecosystem.
Indonesia does not want to be left behind in terms of developing its digital economic potential. In early March 2021, the Indonesian government inaugurated the "Indonesian-style Silicon Valley" called Nongsa D-Town. This 5,000 m2 area is located on Batam Island, which is positioned very close to Singapore.
Digital banks will soon become a reality for Indonesians. Chief Executive of Banking Supervision of Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (in Indonesian: Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, or OJK) Heru Kristiyana recently confirmed that this supervisory agency is currently drafting regulations for the establishment of digital banks in Indonesia.
Possibly the biggest story in local Indonesian media over the past couple of days (if we exclude coverage of any COVID-19-related matters) is the news that Gojek is in talks (in fact in the final stages, reportedly) to merge with Tokopedia. Based on the input of people familiar with the matter, the two companies have agreed to conduct due diligence on their respective businesses.
Multinational management consultancy McKinsey & Company predicts that - by adopting digital technology - the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of Indonesia can contribute up to USD $140 billion to Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) by the year 2030.
The Internet has been one of the most revolutionary technologies in human history. It has made the world a much smaller place by revolutionizing communications. Internet has opened the doors to an enormous amount of information and data that are readily available by only a click or two (thereby completely changing the way people access and consume information).
Latest Columns Digital Economy
The micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of Indonesia are an interesting phenomenon. Why? Well, let’s take a look at three remarkable statistics:
Breaches of personal data are unfortunately common news in Indonesia as it occurs on a widespread and frequent basis in not only the public sectors, but also in private sectors.
Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index, or IHSG) grew 10.08 percent in full-year 2021, a good performance after a volatile and highly uncertain 2020 when the COVID-19 crisis emerged. At around 6,580 points on the first trading day of 2022, the index remains at near-record high territory (with the record being set recently, in mid-November 2021, at around 6,750 points).
The digital economy of Indonesia has been booming over the past 15 years. Today, life without Internet, smartphones, and apps is unimaginable for most people (both for personal and business reasons).
Indonesia’s digital economy is very promising. Near the end of 2019, Google and Singaporean wealth fund Temasek revised their projection for Indonesia's Internet economy (upwards) to reach USD $133 billion, in total value, by 2025. This would be a big jump from the value of around USD $40 billion in 2019.
The COVID-19 outbreak has continued to impact digital media consumption worldwide. Internet platforms, such as e-commerce, now play a pivotal role in our daily lives. On the bright side of current situations, e-commerce is growing all over the world, including in Indonesia. This is because behavioral shifts amongst Indonesians to choose online platforms as their safest place to conduct their daily activities, such as shopping, working or just meeting with some friends.
It is something the central government of Indonesia has been planning and weighing for several years now, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis seems to have sped up the efforts. Per 1 July 2020, the Indonesian government imposes a 10 percent value-added tax (VAT) on sales of imported digital products and services.
Indonesia, the world’s 16th-biggest economy, recently joined the “trillion-US dollar club” having a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of USD $1.01 trillion. Meanwhile, the country’s annual economic growth has been going at a pace of around 5.0 percent over the past couple of years.
It came as a big surprise to us. Only three days before the new and somewhat controversial e-commerce tax regulation would come into effect, Indonesia’s Finance Ministry decided to delay its execution.
It’s not only a question of being digital or not; it’s more about the level ofdigital transformation that you are willing to take.
