"In addition to developing an offline system, an online ecosystem must be developed, so the people's markets will have a market place and platform in facing the digital era," President Jokowi noted here on Tuesday.
Jokowi inaugurated a traditional market and officially opened the 2019 Working Meeting of the Trade Ministry at the Indonesian Exhibition Convention Hall at Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang, Banten Province.
The president admitted to paying weekly visits to traditional markets to check on the supplies and prices of goods.
The head of state said he often received complaints from several vendors about being unable to compete with those engaged in online trading.
"If we fail to respond properly to (the complaints), offline traders would be left behind," he pointed out. Jokowi called on the local administrations to help vendors in traditional markets to offer their goods via an online system and help improve the packaging.
Traditional markets must be given space to enter the online trading space, so they can expand not only nationally but also internationally.
The president lauded the Trade Ministry for revitalizing some 4,200 traditional markets and 8,900 rural markets.
"We have set a target to build 5,200 by late 2019," Jokowi added.
Reporting by Agus Salim, Fardah
Translator: Fardah Assegaf
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
