Jakarta. Indonesia is preparing revisions to its e-commerce regulations following complaints from micro, small, and medium enterprises over rising administrative and logistics costs on online marketplace platforms, Trade Minister Budi Santoso said on Sunday.

Budi said the planned changes would amend Trade Ministry Regulation No. 31 of 2023, which governs electronic commerce and digital trade activities in Indonesia.

The regulation covers areas including business licensing, advertising, supervision, and guidance for businesses operating on digital platforms and online marketplaces.

“We are currently preparing revisions to the e-commerce ecosystem regulation. However, I cannot yet explain the details because the discussions are still ongoing,” Budi said on the sidelines of National Consumer Day celebrations in Jakarta.

Earlier this month, several major e-commerce platforms, including Shopee and Tokopedia-TikTok Shop, began charging sellers part of the shipping costs depending on package weight, delivery distance, and the logistics services used.

The policy triggered complaints from merchants, particularly small businesses, which said the additional costs were hurting their profit margins.

Budi said the regulatory revisions were intended to strengthen protections for consumers and local products, especially goods produced by SMEs. The government also wants to ensure locally made products receive greater promotional visibility on e-commerce platforms.

“The goal of the revision is, first, to protect consumers, and also to ensure that the rights of sellers and local products are prioritized in promotions and sales through e-commerce platforms,” Budi said.

He added that the government aimed to build a healthier and fairer digital commerce ecosystem for all parties, including platform operators and online sellers.

“We want to improve the e-commerce ecosystem together, involving business actors, platform owners, and sellers,” he said.

According to Budi, discussions over the regulatory revision involve all stakeholders, including digital platform companies and online merchants.

“It has to be mutually beneficial so that the ecosystem can continue to function. E-commerce platforms need sellers, and sellers also need platforms. The key is ensuring both sides can grow together while fulfilling obligations that benefit one another, so the ecosystem can operate properly,” he said.

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