These layers do not form a neat ladder of upward mobility. They often run in parallel, with limited bridges and a tendency toward exclusion rather than inclusion.
Classical models such as the Lewis Dual Economy or formal-informal dichotomies fail to capture the horizontal fragmentation and non-linear stratification observed in Indonesia's economy.
Technological advances, paradoxically, have widened the gaps between these layers. Digital and AI infrastructures are often blind to the rhythms, cycles, and informal logic of Layer 1 and 2 economies.
Urgency of a New Framework
To ensure economic justice, resilience, and productivity in the Indonesian context, we need a framework that:
Recognizes coexistence without enforcing convergence: Layer 1 actors should not be forced into digital conformity but supported with adaptive tools.
Enables interconnectivity across asymmetries: Financial, informational, and market links must be reimagined to respect the distinct nature of each layer.
Builds hybrid mechanisms for trust, transaction, and growth: Instead of digitizing everything, we must design symbiotic systems where traditional and modern economies can collaborate.
The 4-Layer Asymmetric Economy Model offers a conceptual and policy architecture that addresses these urgent needs. It reorients our development agenda from a vertical race to a horizontal integration strategy, one that values diversity, preserves contextual intelligence, and cultivates productivity across all layers of the national economy.
B. Policy Recommendations and Future Research Directions
Policy Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, the following multi-layered policy strategies are recommended to address Indonesia's asymmetric economic landscape:
1. Contextual Technology Transfer
Introduce modular, low-barrier digital tools specifically tailored for Layer 1 and Layer 2 actors. Rather than top-down digital mandates, prioritize co-designed solutions that preserve local workflows while offering incremental access to Layer 3 and 4 services.
2. Asymmetric Financial Inclusion
Develop multi-credit scoring models that include non-traditional indicators such as community trust, informal turnover, and long-term relationships with suppliers or customers---making informal and semi-formal businesses visible to digital banking and micro-investment platforms.
3. Hybrid Market Infrastructure
Encourage multi-format commerce models (e.g., digital kiosks, offline-to-online hubs, local-to-global micro supply chains) that recognize the simultaneity of cash, QRIS, and trust-based trade. Hybrid marketplaces should be encouraged through tax incentives, tech partnerships, and local co-ops.
4. Interlayer Connector Institutions
Establish intermediary entities or digital cooperatives that understand the behavior, incentives, and constraints of each layer---especially to enable Layer 1 and 2 actors to participate in Layer 3 and 4 ecosystems without forced assimilation.
Future Research Directions
This paper opens new avenues for empirical and theoretical exploration, including:
1. Quantitative Mapping of Interlayer Flows
Using network science and supply chain analytics to track real-time flows of goods, money, and information across the four layers---highlighting disconnections and potential nodes of integration.
2. Cognitive-Economic Ethnographies
Explore how small actors in Layer 1 and 2 perceive and engage with digital systems and AI infrastructure. This includes studying technological ambivalence, informal innovation, and adaptive resistance.
3. Agent-Based Simulation of Multi-Layer Economies
Build models to simulate shock responses, policy diffusion, and emergent collaboration between layers under various scenarios (e.g., pandemic, price shocks, regulatory change).
4. Design of Alternative Economic Indicators
Traditional GDP or employment metrics do not capture the vibrancy or constraints of the asymmetric model. New metrics---such as Layer Elasticity Index, Informal Interconnectivity Quotient, or Tech Friction Coefficient---could enrich both policy and academic discourses.
Final Note
