Gojek Prepares 3-step Strategy amid Jakarta COVID-19 Restrictions

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Application-based technology service provider Gojek has prepared three strategies to improve and expand services to help communities and partners during the enforcement of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta until April 23, 2020.

"The activities of the capital community may be slowed by the implementation of the large-scale social restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, we are accelerating efforts to help the community in navigating this difficult time, through three strategic steps, " Gojek Co-CEO Kevin Aluwi informed in a statement on Saturday.

The company’s first strategy is to expand GoFood, GoMart, GoShop, GoSend, and GoFresh services, he revealed. The GoFood service is currently being expanded to allow it to serve staples and food, including shopping for staples from Mitra Tani Market owned by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture.

Interestingly, Kevin said, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture will bear the shipping costs for each minimum purchase transaction of Rp40,000, with a maximum inter-radius service of 25 km for orders placed using GoFood.

Customers can also use GoFood to buy daily necessities at modern shopping outlets such as Alfamart, FamilyMart, Lawson, and Circle K.

Second, the company plans to turn Gojek shelters and pick-up points into “COVID-19 prevention points” to help people who still have to work outside home during the PSBB period, among others, Kevin said.

"The points will be equipped to measure body temperature, and provide hand sanitizers and masks to driver partners and Gojek application users who still have to travel. Physical distancing rules will be reinforced through safe queue management, completed with marker stickers and trained officers," he added.

Elaborating on the third and final strategy, Kevin said the company plans to help ensure the sustainability of GoFood partner income for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during the PSBB period through the National Culinary Day (Harkulnas) program. The program aims to help MSMEs stay afloat during the current crisis.

The program was launched a few days before the implementation of the PSBB and involved 55 thousand outlets of GoFood MSMEs at the beginning of the period. MSMEs have the opportunity to do special promotions and displays on the GoFood main page under the program, while customers can get promo vouchers against shipping costs.

Kevin said the program has entered its third year and has proven to be effective in boosting the transaction volume of partner merchant outlets. For example, in 2019, under a similar agenda, total partner transactions increased by 42 percent, while the average transaction value of each outlet increased by 21 percent.

"We hope that the National Culinary Day (Harkulnas) program this year can help the business continuity of tens of thousands of MSMEs and help turn the wheels of the Indonesian economy during this pandemic," Kevin conluded.

ANTARA