DTI ready to fire up e-commerce site for MSMES before year-end
AN e-commerce platform, set for a definite launch before year-end, will help create a national market for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES).
Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the e-commerce platform of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is creating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is “for the purpose of having a platform [for the initiation of MSMES that are currently yet to enter] the digital economy.”
Said platform, Pascual noted, will be an avenue for small merchants to be exposed to the national market, and will eventually enable them to participate in the global arena.
The DTI chief named the “Golokal” program of the trade department as a “market access” platform for Philippine MSMES’ “incubation, marketing and branding.”
According to DTI, Golokal can be found in malls, tourist destinations, and other “consumer-frequented” locations.
The secretary said that with the program, he aims to onboard small enterprises into the said digital platform, which will enable them to enjoy wider access, since these local businesses are only occasionally visible in select stores nationwide.
Pascual told reporters last week that the said businesses only have access in the National Capital Region during trade fairs in malls. Golokal, on the other hand, “will create the national market for them. And eventually, international markets.”
While there are already similar ones existing in the country, Pascual stressed the importance of having a “stepping stone” platform which will link these small businesses. In fact, the trade chief divulged that a “famous e-commerce site” is already welcome to this idea.
As for the digital transformation, Pascual unveiled some of its key features, which include payment systems and logistics.
Pascual noted that for digital transformation, MSMES need to imbibe digital processes to connect to linked payment systems: “The e-commerce platform that we are producing or launching between DTI and DICT is for that purpose.”
The trade chief said the entire process—which includes onboarding, training, and “linking” them up to the e-commerce platform—can be likened to that of a supermarket. The site will feature an “e-catalog” of Philippine products.
“[My vision is to eventually have an e-catalog of Philippine products],” Pascual shared. “And we will require government offices to buy from local producers—mandatory for products that are available here [in the country.]”
As for the e-catalog: “[It will be very transparent…because the prices are published...hopefully it will reduce corruption, because in] the procurement by government offices, the quantity will be known, the price is already published…[overpricing will be difficult to achieve],” the trade chief added.
Despite his optimism toward granting MSMES a wider access through this platform, Pascual underscored the need to track their data. He said this is one area that “still needs to be placed under the microscope,” as he is still looking into the number of merchants that they’re targeting to integrate.
The DTI official instructed the agency to have “a good profile of our MSMES” coming from a lack of data—particularly the number of businesses that have graduated from smaller-scale setups and transitioned into bigger ones.
Asked if the e-commerce platform can be launched before 2022 ends, Pascual said: “Within this year, definitely. [It’s ready and done, and a matter of just being launched].”
In October DICT’S Undersecretary for e-government David Almirol said the Philippine government is eyeing to introduce by the end of the year a service that aggregates e-commerce platforms which could benefit small entrepreneurs.
The DICT undersecretary also noted that “all they need to do is to register and post their products or their services and the whole ecosystem where logistics, marketing, payments, [as well as] access to credits and source materials, will be integrated in a single platform simplifying the process to join the digital economy.”