The union of two of Indonesia’s major digital companies, on-demand service platform Gojek and e-commerce platform Tokopedia, was greeted with much fanfare from various parties, including government officials.
In a video, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo warmly welcomed the newly minted GoTo, a portmanteau of Gojek and Tokopedia.
He hoped that the union would consistently bring innovations to support the growth of Indonesia’s digital finance economy.
“Secondly, [I hope GoTo] will continue to contribute, with us and the industry, to implementing the blueprints of Indonesian payment systems to further digitize them through their active participation in walking groups. The third [hope] is that they will provide a contribution to our economy, especially for the national economic recovery, including by playing an active role in the Bangga Buatan Indonesia [Proudly Indonesian Made] and Bangga Berwisata di Indonesia [Indonesian Tourism Pride] campaigns,” he said.
Perry noted that news of the union would bring a plethora of benefits to the national economy, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that partnered with Gojek and Tokopedia.
“I hope that this joyous moment can accelerate the growth of MSMEs and that GoTo can consistently take the role of aggregator for them. Let us, together, synergize to bring digital innovations to MSMEs and become the locomotive to bring national MSMEs to success in the domestic and global markets.”
Separately, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani also congratulated the union, saying that the spirit of the union was to develop innovations and global-scale competition.
“It is hoped that the transformation will benefit the Indonesian economy, especially for MSMEs by providing end-to-end service and unlimited access to the market,” she said.
Mulyani also highlighted GoTo’s role as an exemplary start-up for Indonesian digital companies, contributing to the economy along with bringing about social transformation.
“I hope that GoTo’s existence will contribute to the global reputation of the Indonesian economy, as the innovation will spark interest in the potential of the Indonesian economy, including investments and capital that can create working opportunities and benefits for Indonesians. Hopefully, GoTo can consistently safeguard public trust and strengthen the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy and attract investors.”
GoTo Group combines e-commerce, on-demand and financial services, and has created the first platform in Southeast Asia to host these three essential use cases in one ecosystem. The GoTo ecosystem itself encompasses 2 percent of Indonesia’s GDP and will continue to expand, serving Indonesia’s 270 million consumers, as well as other fast-growing and emerging markets across Southeast Asia.
To date, the union is the largest ever in Indonesia and the largest between two Asia-based internet and media services companies. It will unlock new income-earning opportunities for millions of drivers, merchants and entrepreneurs.
