E-COMMERCE FRAMEWORK IN THE WORKS
Asean initiative set to open up more opportunities and facilitate business expansion for MSMEs
KUALA LUMPUR
THE new Asean framework on e-commerce, currently being implemented by the Asean Coordinating Committee on ecommerce, is expected to open up more opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and facilitate their business expansion in the region.
Datuk Ravindran Palaniappan, chair of the working group of trade in services of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, said the committee was working to develop a single framework on e-commerce to improve ease of doing business for entrepreneurs across the region.
“Asean consists of 10 different countries and (currently), we have 10 different e-commerce or digital economy laws. Since last year, the Asean Coordinating Committee on e-commerce has been working to come out with a new framework agreement.
“They are working towards finalising it (the framework). Once this e-commerce law comes into force, it will open new opportunities for not only our entrepreneurs, but also others in the region,” he said on the sidelines of the Digitalisation and Ecommerce Ecosystem Forum here yesterday.
Ravindran also launched the one-day forum, representing International Trade and Industry Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri J. Jayasiri.
Ravindran said e-commerce and digitalisation was the new wave in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the forum augured well for creating greater awareness.
“We need to get more SMEs (small and medium enterprises) onto the digital and e-commerce platform. That is why Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced several initiatives for this group in the 2018 Budget.
“We already have the Digital Free Trade Zone and we are gathering as many SMEs to be on the platform as we can. For them to be on it, they need to be well prepared in terms of knowledge and infrastructure,” he said, adding that SMES which were not well prepared would not be able to compete.
“We can’t just simply put (SMEs) onto the platform and expect them to perform. Once they get onto the platform, there will be huge opportunities awaiting them in terms of expanding their businesses regionally and globally,” he added. Bernama