Indonesia's e-commerce ban bears a closer look

INDONESIA has recently imposed a ban on e-commerce transactions on social media platforms, ostensibly to protect small and medium enterprises, which the country's trade minister said are being harmed by predatory pricing in online stores. While this is a move that may not be suitable for the Philippines — and in fact, there are some strong arguments against it — how Indonesia's ban affects the retail market there should be closely watched by our authorities, as developments may better inform our own laws and policies.