WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE[1]
Electronic commerce and development
Non-paper from Brunei Darussalam; Colombia; Costa Rica; Hong Kong, China;
Israel; Malaysia; Mexico; Nigeria; Pakistan; Panama; Qatar; Seychelles;
Singapore and Turkey
The
following non-paper, dated 10 February 2017, is being circulated at the request
of the delegation of Singapore.
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1.1. E-Commerce can be and has been leveraged to
support development. For one, it has made interactions between consumers and
businesses much easier. E-commerce has opened up new opportunities for
businesses in developing countries, especially micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs), by reducing the cost of doing business, and allowing them
to reach a wider market. The consumer experience, whether in the areas of media
and entertainment, air travel and tourism, and even taxi rides, has changed
over the past few years, thanks to e-commerce. Between businesses, the digital
interface allows for more efficient operations and supply chains. The data
generated also allows for optimisation and innovation in their business models.
All this presents a big well of untapped potential, which could boost economic
growth and development in developing countries.
[1] This document was previously issued as JOB/GC/101/Rev.1. This
document also adds Brunei Darussalam as co-sponsor.