Online auction and shopping website eBay and Indonesia’s telecommunications operator Telekomunikasi Indonesia, known as Telkom, have teamed up to offer e-commerce services in Indonesia.

To be called MetraPlasa, the joint venture will provide a way for consumers to buy and sell goods on eBay such as electronics, appliances, computers, collectibles, vehicles and other items through an e-commerce website Plasa.com.

Telkom will own 60 per cent of the venture and eBay 40 per cent.

“Telkom is really enthusiastic about working together with eBay to provide the best e-commerce,” said Telkom president director Rinaldi Firmansyah.

eBay senior VP Jay Lee said that with eBay’s experience in e-commerce and Telkom’s huge number of subscribers, MetraPlasa will surely gain patronage in Indonesia.

“We are very glad we can cooperate with Telkom and hope to increase the online shopping experience of Indonesian customers, especially for those who wish to buy and sell to the global market wherever and whenever they want,” said Lee.

Plasa.com will commence operation next year.

eBay will tap what analysts consider to be a huge potential in Indonesia’s online market which recorded transactions worth approximately US$1 billion in 2011. Last year, Indonesian internet users also increased by 32 per cent to 55 million users.

GB