Bank of Indonesia Trains SMEs on Online Marketing

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara (Antara Sumbar) - The Provincial office of the Bank of Indonesia in West Nusa Tenggara is giving training sessions to micro, small and medium business owners on marketing their products through online systems.

Head of the Bank of Indonesia West Nusa Office Prijono said in Mataram, Tuesday, said that the assistance that was given came in the form of product marketing training through "electronic commerce" to 250 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) owners.

E-commerce is a collection of technologies, applications, and businesses that connect companies or individuals as consumers to electronic transactions, exchange of goods, and exchange of information through the internet or television, the world wide web, or other computer networks.

"We have provided training in order to encourage the expansion of MSME products market and stimulate the increase of non-cash transactions in shopping within the province of West Nusa Tenggara,"he said.

Other than MSMEs, the trainings that are being held on Monday (Nov 6) was also joined by the banking industries, local government instances, communities, academics as well as students from all across the city of Mataram.

It also featured co-founder and CFO of online shopping platform, Bukalapak.com, m Fajrin Rasyid.

Prijono believed that online marketing is currently very potential, as the number of internet users in Indonesia reached 132 million users which is more than 51 percent of the total number of the country's citizens.

Moreover, the number of active cellphone users reach 92 million people with an average usage of 4 hours per day.

The high use of mobile phones and internet access is certainly an opportunity that should be utilized in order to increase the scale of the economy, especially for SME owners.

He further stated that these opportunities are also supported by the current condition in which almost all owners of SMEs have smartphones that can certainly be used to sell their goods online through various market place that are available.

It is hoped that online selling systems can make SME products from West Nusa Tenggara be able to reach both the local and national market.

"In addition, sales with an online system can encourage the use of non-cash transactions in shopping, thus supporting efficiency in the payment system," he concluded. (*)

Editor: Vicha Faradika