During a meeting in Jakarta, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the Creative Economy Minister, Teuku Riefky Harsya, said the collaboration aligns with the government’s mission to build an inclusive and evenly distributed creative economy. He emphasized that digital platforms can help drive economic growth starting from regions beyond major cities.

“The missions of TikTok and Tokopedia align with what we have been striving for. We want to ensure the creative economy becomes a new engine of national economic growth starting from the regions, not only centered in big cities,” he said in Jakarta on April 28, 2026.

As quoted by the ministry's press release, the program is designed to expand access and improve the capacity of creative economy players through digital technology and social commerce ecosystems. It also aims to ensure that creators, affiliates, and businesses across regions can grow more evenly, including outside Java.

“We are not only focusing on big cities, but also on how creators, affiliates, and businesses across regions can grow together through equal orchestration, including outside Java,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senior Director of Tokopedia (TikTok Shop), Vonny Susamto, said the collaboration addresses key challenges faced by local businesses. These include gaps in digital literacy, limited business capacity, and restricted market access.

“Local Business Empowerment is here to address various challenges, from digital literacy gaps and limited business capacity to market access. We are committed to delivering programs that are not only short-term but also build a sustainable ecosystem,” she said.

Through the Local Business Empowerment initiative, TikTok and Tokopedia implement three main pillars. The first pillar, Waktunya STARt, focuses on capacity building through training programs across multiple regions supported by 12 local governments.

The program has generated broad exposure, including more than 200 national and regional media publications. It has also reached over 3,500 MSMEs and affiliates, as well as around 3,000 students, supported by more than 100 certified trainers who have educated 45,000 sellers.

The second pillar, Beli Lokal, aims to strengthen domestic product visibility and competitiveness. More than 20,221 stores have joined the program, recording a 58 percent increase in sales.

The third pillar, Lokal Mendunia, focuses on expanding Indonesian brands into global markets. More than 50 brands are currently in the international development pipeline, with some already entering Southeast Asian markets.

Head of Public Policy & Government Relations TikTok & Tokopedia, Hilmi Adrianto, highlighted the role of digital ecosystems in driving growth. He noted that high user engagement supports both promotion and transactions.

“With more than 160 million TikTok users in Indonesia and the high volume of content produced every minute, our platform has become a strategic space for businesses to accelerate promotion and transactions. The integration of content and commerce has proven to significantly drive engagement and purchasing decisions,” he said.