TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said the recent growth of e-commerce triggered the increasing enthusiasm of shopping among the community, as the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that the public consumption index continued to grow.

The household consumption index also reached 5.14 percent. The figure was better than that of in the past few quarters which declined to 4.94 percent.

"Yes, [the growth is] due to e-commerce sector, people in urban areas prefer to shop via sophisticated tools," Darmin said in his office, Monday, August 6.

However, the government planned to regulate the way people shopping through telephone or internet, especially the spread of imported goods at online outlets.

The government was currently speeding up the signing of Government Regulation Draft (RPP) on Trade through Electronic Systems. The Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara said the RPP would at least regulate the licensing, data transaction, and a certainty of sales for local business actors.

"It will be ready in the next month or two," said Rudiantara last weekend.

The number of public consumption was reflected by the hike in imported goods. The consumption rate was increased over the years. The US $ 8.9 billion or 7.2 percent of the total the US $ 118.1 billion of non-oil and gas imports in 2015 was the imported consumer goods. In 2017, imported goods accounted for 9 percent of total imports of US $ 156.8 billion or the US $ 14 billion.

The BPS Head Suhariyanto said that the surge in online shopping activities in the past few years had a positive impact on the sector of the transportation and warehousing industry. The logistics industry had become one of the most positive industrial sectors.

"Transportation and warehousing grew to 8.59 percent in the second quarter," Suhariyanto said in his office yesterday.

The Indonesian Logistics Association also confirmed that e-commerce played a role in supporting the logistics sector. The association head Zaldy Masita said the demand on goods delivery was quite soaring.

"Moreover, many e-commerce companies give subsidies for shipping costs despite the number is somewhat decreased this year," he said. Since the e-commerce boomed in 2015, the sector's gross domestic product grown from 170 to 185 in the quarter II of 2018.

The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance Executive Director, Enny Sri Hartati, said the government was urged to move quickly to secure the market for domestic players in e-commerce. "The domestic products may be further excluded by imported goods," said Enny.

ANDI IBNU