Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said the government had instructed Pos Indonesia to intensify efforts to pursue such opportunities and expand its current business core, which currently relies on mail and package delivery for individuals and corporate customers.

“This [business] repositioning strategy will transform Pos Indonesia from a company that focuses on mail delivery to becoming the logistical backbone of Indonesia’s e-commerce,” Rudiantara said on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.  

With more than 3,000 outlets across the nation, Pos Indonesia, Rudiantara added, could offer reliable services at relatively low prices to help e-commerce companies reduce expenses.

“E-commerce players don’t need to establish their own logistical unit, as they can share a single logistical platform provided by Pos Indonesia,” he said.

With other countries in Southeast Asia having already prepared the groundwork for their digital economies to prosper, the Indonesian government has finally taken initiative to spur the growth of e-commerce within its own borders.

On Thursday, the government announced 14th economic policy package, which planned to tackle eight specific issues that could determine the success of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ambition of turning the country into the biggest digital economy of the region by 2020 with a targeted value of US$130 billion. The eight issues are funding, taxation, consumer protection, human resources, logistics, communication infrastructure, cyber security and the establishment of a project management office.

The role of Pos Indonesia in supporting e-commerce is also addressed in the package. (hwa)

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