Govt eyes $9bn e-commerce trade by 2023

December 2, 2021 (MLN): Government is planning to increase e-commerce trade volume up to $9 billion in the next two years by June 2023, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on E-Commerce, Senator Aon Abbas Buppi said while chairing the one day ‘National E-Commerce Symposium’ organized by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

“There are already conflicting figures in Pakistan's e-commerce trade, however, with the current trade of $4.5 billion, we can take it up to targeted $9 billion,” he added.

He also underlined that most of the e-commerce business is done by the youth and now at this time, the government will provide them with all kinds of facilities.

“I will take care of all the issues of e-commerce traders including State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and other tax agencies” he noted.

Highlighting the issues, he stated that most of the issues are related to finance, taxes, logistics data, and Ease of Doing Business (EOBD) of which “we are already aware and the government will pay full attention to this.”

He informed that the government would soon be setting up the first e-commerce university, which would enhance the capabilities of e-commerce traders not only in Pakistan but also in the emerging e-commerce international market.

He said that the establishment of an e-commerce University would provide new employment opportunities to the youth in Pakistan and the country would become a part of the global supply chain which would enhance our economic strength.

SAPM said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has high hopes from the youth and now mostly youth are in e-commerce trading, which can increase the country's exports as well as provide ample employment opportunities.

He said that the government was planning to create the first e-commerce web portal in the country, which would help in curbing illegal trade, and with the help of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, an e-commerce portal would be created and transparency would be brought in this sector.

An Abbas urged the e-commerce leaders to come forward and train the country's large youth population in this sector so that youth from remote areas like Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and other provinces could come forward and become part of the country's economic power and gain decent employment opportunities.

Apart from Business to Business, the government will solve all the problems in this sector with regard to business to company.

Speaking on the occasion, Senior Joint Secretary Ministry of Commerce, Aisha Moirani said that the government is fully committed to promote e-commerce business domestically and globally.

"Our ministry is working hard to link e-commerce business with the industry," she said.

The e-commerce leaders and traders also gave their recommendations on the occasion and discussed issues related to Business to Business, taxation, logistics, money transaction, e-commerce supply chain, EODB, data protection, centralized regulation, and business structure.

On this occasion, e-commerce trader Badar Khushnood said that in the current government, many issues regarding our policy level and other transactions have been resolved.

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