Budi Santoso gathers platforms and sellers to refine Regulation 31/2023 and better protect local products.
Indonesia is finalizing revisions to its main e-commerce rulebook after Trade Minister Budi Santoso met with marketplace operators and seller groups to address complaints over platform policies and build a fairer digital trade ecosystem.
Dialogue With Platforms And Sellers To Surface Pain Points
Trade Minister Budi Santoso said he met with seller representatives and marketplace operators this week to hear their concerns and seek a “mutually beneficial” path forward for platforms, merchants and consumers. Sellers were given the opportunity to explain operational challenges, including grievances related to platform policies and services. Santoso emphasized that the issues could not be resolved “instantly,” but said all feedback had been taken into consideration to help build a more balanced e-commerce ecosystem.
Revising Regulation 31/2023 As Core Policy Tool
The discussions will contribute to revisions of Trade Ministry Regulation No. 31 of 2023, which governs the licensing, advertising, guidance and supervision of e-commerce businesses. Santoso said the regulation was being updated to address issues identified across digital marketplaces, ranging from opaque rules to the perceived unfair treatment of merchants. The revision process is now in the final stage of regulatory harmonization, with representatives from platforms and sellers involved in the drafting process to ensure the rules are grounded in real market conditions.
Joint Action Plan To Turn Rules Into Practice
Beyond revising the text of the regulation, the minister proposed drafting a joint action plan to support implementation once the revisions are finalized. He urged stakeholders to work together on concrete steps to implement the new rules in practice, including operationalizing guidance, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The aim is to avoid gaps between regulation and implementation and to ensure that both large platforms and smaller sellers understand and can comply with the updated requirements.
Stronger Protection And Visibility For Local Products
A key focus of the revised regulation is strengthening protections for local products and improving transparency across digital platforms. Santoso said Indonesia wants domestic products to grow and compete effectively, and that improved visibility and stronger safeguards can help local brands maintain quality while gaining market share. “If local products become more competitive and maintain high quality, we can better control imports,” he noted, signaling that e-commerce regulations are being used as part of a broader strategy to manage foreign goods and support local industry.
Shared Responsibility For A Fair Digital Marketplace
Santoso stressed that creating a fairer e-commerce ecosystem is a shared responsibility shared by the government, platforms, and merchants. While regulators refine the framework, marketplaces must improve transparency and service standards, and sellers must commit to quality and compliance. The minister framed the dialogue as the beginning of more structured cooperation rather than a one-off consultation, with the goal of ensuring that rapid digital growth benefits local businesses and consumers, rather than only large intermediaries or overseas suppliers.
Indonesia’s move to revise Trade Ministry Regulation 31/2023, backed by direct talks with marketplaces and sellers, marks a push to rebalance its e-commerce ecosystem toward greater fairness, transparency and support for local products. For Indonesians and Singaporeans, the outcome will help determine how online trade rules shape competition between domestic and imported goods, how complaints against platforms are handled, and how well digital marketplaces can serve as engines of inclusive growth rather than sources of friction for small businesses.
Sources: EN Antara (2026) , EN Tempo (2026)
Keywords: Budi Santoso Statement, Licensing And Advertising Rules, Seller Complaints, Regulatory Harmonisation, Local Product Competitiveness, Import Control
