According to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Senator Aon Abbas, the federal government has approved e-commerce policy and finalised plans to establish the country’s first virtual e-commerce university.
On Wednesday, he spoke at an e-commerce conference organised by the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Ministry of Commerce.
He stated that e-commerce would boost exports, strengthen the digital economy, and provide jobs for the country’s youth. Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch an e-commerce web portal in February, he said.
This is the country’s first e-commerce university, says Senator Aon Abbas
Senator Aon Abbas announced the country’s first e-commerce virtual university in July 2022.
In 2021, domestic e-commerce remained at $4 billion, while cross-border digital trade reached Rs60 billion. He estimated global e-commerce at $340 billion.
He said there were currently 1.1 million to 1.2 million freelancers in the country, contributing $1.5 billion in remittances.
The senator said efforts were underway to strengthen the postal, value-chain, trace and tracking, and banking systems.
He stated a simple, fast, and certified system was required to promote e-commerce.
He stated that the global e-commerce or e-businesses totaled $20 trillion, with China accounting for $4 trillion to $5 trillion.
He claimed Prime Minister Imran Khan planned to develop a system that would allow people to export goods from home.
According to the PM’s adviser, Pakistan was third in e-business, behind India and Bangladesh. The prime minister’s main goal was to promote e-commerce and the digital economy. He stated youth would be given specific training to contribute to the economy through digital technologies.
Earlier, SCCI senior vice-president Imran Khan emphasised the need to promote e-commerce, claiming that youngsters possessed unparalleled skills that were underutilised.
The SCCI office-bearers anticipated the awareness session would help educate the business community, especially startups, on the latest marketing tactics and technologies.
