3rd National E-Commerce Forum and Exhibition 2024

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), in partnership with GIZ Ghana and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), successfully launched the Trust Seal Program during the 3rd National E-Commerce Forum and Exhibition 2024. The AGI Trust Seal Program was developed to address trust deficit in e-commerce and aims to create a safer e-commerce environment for businesses and consumers across Ghana.

During the inauguration, the Master of Ceremonies emphasized that the program will cover all e-commerce platforms and companies operating in the country, regardless of their size or the nature of the goods and services offered.

In his remarks, the AGI Sector Head highlighted the importance of the Trust Seal Program as a strategic initiative to protect members engaged in online trading. AGI is committed to growing its member businesses and is pleased to certify businesses that meet the program’s rigorous requirements, ensuring consumers can safely transact online.

Mr. Emmanuel Mumuni, Team Leader of the Pan-African Leadership Initiative at GIZ Ghana, noted that it is a pan-African e-commerce initiative that aims to build trust in the sector. He added that the partnership with AGI was crucial due to its broad reach and experience in working with enterprises, and NITA’s role as a key player in regulating the IT space in Ghana added a strong foundation to the initiative. Mr. Mumuni expressed GIZ Ghana’s excitement in supporting the successful implementation of the program.

A representative from NITA explained how the agency’s involvement played a key role in making the initiative a reality. NITA is responsible for implementing a public key infrastructure that authenticates digital services and transactions, and facilitates the issuance of e-visas and authentication of Ghana cards.

The representative further emphasized NITA’s commitment to ensuring a trusted online trading environment through secure verification processes, thereby curbing fraudulent activities.

Following the unveiling of the Trust Seal, two panel discussions took place. The first session was attended by representatives from PayBox, Blue Penguin and Parle, which operate platforms that facilitate cross-border online transactions. Panelists discussed how their systems have driven business growth, simplified transactions and enabled businesses to scale. They also addressed the challenges facing their companies and called on the government, consumers and other stakeholders to work together to solve these problems.

The second panel discussion brought together representatives of the Association of Licensed Courier Companies of Ghana (ALCCG) and SWOOVE Ghana, focusing on logistics and delivery services in the e-commerce space. The panelists spoke candidly about logistical challenges in the delivery space in Ghana and participated in a lively question and answer session with the audience.

The event ended on a positive note, with many business representatives expressing enthusiasm about participating in the Trust Seal program, recognizing its potential to increase consumer confidence and drive the growth of their online businesses.