Legal certainty critical for Indonesia's gig economy

Jakarta

INDONESIA'S digital sector has been one of the bright sparks in a year when the economy has been decimated by the coronavirus outbreak and a sharp downturn in consumer spending.

According to a recent report by Google, the country's digital economy is set to expand by 11 per cent in 2020 to US$44 billion, from US$40 billion in 2019.

The pandemic has been a blessing for the overall gig economy, which is projected to churn out a total of US$124 billion in gross merchandise value by 2025.

The country's two leading tech giants, ride hailing and food delivery firms Gojek and Grab, have over the past decade become poster boys for the potential of the digital sector.

Both are now decacorns with Gojek valued at US$10 billion and Grab, which is Singapore-ba…