E-commerce strategy reaches second phase

Business

Ryan Hamilton Davis

22 minutes ago

Candice Lackhansingh, Director, Policy and Strategy Directorate, MTI, left; David Hughes, Consultant, UNCTAD; Ina Hodge, E-commerce and Digital Economy Branch, Technology and Logistics Division, UNCTAD; Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Commerce; Ava Mahabir-Dass, Deputy Permanent Secretary, MTI and Joanna Kazana, UN Resident Coordinator, at the eTrade Ready Validation and E-commerce Strategy Vision workshop, Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, July 16. - Photo courtesy of MTI — Candice Lackhansingh, Director, Policy and Strategy Directorate, MTI, left; David Hughes, Consultant, UNCTAD; Ina Hodge, E-commerce and Digital Economy Branch, Technology and Logistics Division, UNCTAD; Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Commerce; Ava Mahabir-Dass, Deputy Permanent Secretary, MTI and Joanna Kazana, UN Resident Coordinator, at the eTrade Ready Validation and E-commerce Strategy Vision workshop, Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, July 16. – Photo courtesy of MTI

PHASE TWO of the national e-commerce strategy project began on 16 July with a consultation to develop the strategy held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

The e-Commerce Strategy Initiative is a data-driven plan to grow e-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago from 2023 to 2026, led by the Ministry of Commerce with support from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Speaking at the launch of the consultation, Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said e-commerce and digital transformation continued to be a key focus for the government. She said digital transformation could be a driver of innovation, growth, trade and social prosperity.

“According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the development of the digital economy creates a number of new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to play a more active role in global value chains,” she added.

The Minister highlighted a number of digital initiatives and policies, such as TTBizLink, which processes permits and licenses, and GovPayTT, which enables cashless payments for government services.

“With this in mind, a national e-commerce strategy should build on and complement all other government initiatives in this area,” she said.

The initiative was launched in December 2023 with the signing of a Contribution and Technical Assistance Agreement with UNCTAD for the development of a Trinidad and Tobago National E-Commerce Strategy.

The first phase of the project was an e-commerce assessment, which, through stakeholder consultations in March, bilateral meetings, online surveys and public and private sector feedback, determined the readiness of the TT e-commerce framework.

“The assessments outline gaps, opportunities and challenges for the development of e-commerce in seven policy areas.”

Gopee-Scoon said the assessment is a blueprint that will inform the development of a national e-commerce strategy. She stressed the importance of stakeholder input to ensure the strategy accurately captures the context in each area of concern. She added that some of the areas already identified for action include the legal framework, strengthening and coordinating goods delivery systems, data collection for policymaking, literacy, business incubators and affordable online payment solutions.

“With your support, this has the potential to change the face of the business community,” Gopee-Scoon said.