An Evermos and IFC Study: Inclusive Employment through Digitalization in Indonesia as the key for Advancing Economic Growth at the Base of the Pyramid
BANDUNG, Indonesia, Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 26.16 million people in Indonesia, or 9.54% of the total population lived below the poverty line with the limited access to basic needs and economic opportunities. Workers at the base of the pyramid are often engaged in informal work or in low-skill jobs with limited earning potential, social protection or opportunities for career and economic advancement.
On the other hand, E-commerce is an enormous growth opportunity in Indonesia, with an estimated 50 million Indonesians becoming internet users between 2015-2020, with the potential to open up the opportunities for economic advancement. However, most consumers and sellers remain excluded from e-commerce channels due to barriers such as a lack of digital literacy, a bank account and a lack of trust in the authenticity of products available online. Evermos saw this as an opportunity to overcome these barriers and give access and opportunity to Indonesians to build a network of self-employed micro-entrepreneurs to earn incomes.
IFC, A Member of World Bank Group, released its report of "Inclusive Employment: Advancing Economic Opportunities at the Base of the Pyramid", in partnership with Evermos as one of the business case for expanding employment at the base of the pyramid and highlights emerging good practices that companies and investors can adopt. Within the case study, high costs and logistical challenges in Indonesia are the barriers that hamper small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and microentrepreneurs from fully participating in the growing e-commerce sector. However, Evermos used inclusive employment practices to successfully address these challenges, grow its network of resellers at the base of the pyramid, providing them incomes, and swiftly expand its market access.
"The private sector as a key source of jobs clearly has a critical role to play.", Alexis Geaneotes, Operations Officer, Gender and Economic Inclusion, from IFC said.
Cited from the report, Evermos started with establishing a platform that targets lower-income cities. The reseller platform of Evermos offers Indonesians an opportunity to earn additional income, and for one-third it is their sole source of income, particularly for stay-at-home mothers. Resellers usually spend three hours per day on Evermos activities and earn $43 per month on average. Top performers can make $191 per month, which is equivalent to the national minimum wage.
Along with the platform, Evermos used the following inclusive employment practices, starting with participation, the incorporation of flexible work hours and no equipment or capital requirements beyond a cellphone. Advancement, Extensive training and professional development; upskilling programs for high-performing resellers to become 'community leaders', and then Empowerment, establishing community meetings and online groups as direct channels between resellers and Evermos for dialogue and feedback.
Iqbal Muslimin, Co-founder and Chief of Sustainability of Evermos states, "The role of our community leaders and the role of our trainers is a very integral part to promote inclusive employment." Established in 2018, Evermos continues to connect with more 1,200 Indonesian MSMEs via digitized platform to more than 700,000 resellers, with the focus on the bottom of the pyramid, to earn commission and ultimately advance their household economics.
About Evermos
Evermos is a connected commerce platform, empower local brands and underserved communities by providing network of distribution channel and commerce services, focusing on curated products with sharia principles. Evermos as one-stop platform provide local brands with end-to-end services to support all around commerce solution and reseller networks. Equipped by extensive trainings to support the success of all resellers regardless of their gender, educational background, geographic location, or income level.
Founded in November 2018, Evermos has built the largest reseller-based connected commerce network in Indonesia with more than 165,000 active sellers throughout Indonesia and 1,600 MSME partners. To date, Evermos has received various industry awards such as the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch award in the Asia Pacific region, the UN Women 2022 Indonesian Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) award and is a member of the Endeavor Entrepreneur global network. Evermos is also a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Innovators Community, an invitation-only group of the world's most promising start-ups and scale-ups that are at the forefront of technological innovation and ethical business models.
About IFC
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
About the Report
"Inclusive Employment: Advancing Economic Opportunities at the Base of the Pyramid"
SOURCE Evermos
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