"We target the digital transformation to cover 30 million MSME actors nationwide by 2024," Masduki stated at a forum with traditional market merchants and relevant stakeholders here on Sunday.
The minister said he has asked Surabaya municipal and East Java provincial authorities to improve the system to allow more merchants in traditional markets to sell their products online.
He pointed out that of the 21 million MSME actors that have gained digital access at present, only 18 thousand are merchants in traditional markets.
If traditional market revitalization is taking place now, Masduki said he is optimistic the 30-million digitized MSMEs target will be achieved on time.
Besides providing digital access to market merchants, the minister said the revitalization should also include system improvements to facilitate access between producers and market merchants.
"We need to educate market merchants on how to perform their trade and set up prices. I believe, compared to modern markets, traditional markets are more competitive. Merchants at traditional markets are also not burdened by expensive stall rent prices," Masduki expounded.
Meanwhile, Robiatul Adawiyah, a merchant in a traditional market in Surabaya, stated that she enjoyed various benefits from selling products online, which she started in 2020.
While the revenue from selling fruits and vegetables at Surabaya's Pucung Market barely reached Rp1 million (US$66), the revenue from selling the products online reached an average of more than Rp2 million (US$132) daily, she explained.
On one occasion, the monthly revenue from online sales had even reached Rp120 million (US$7,920), she emphasized.
"After joining the digital marketplace, my business is significantly developing. The revenue is surging, and the revenue from online sales is always higher than offline sales," Adawiyah remarked.
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Translator: Abdul H/Hanif N, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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