E-commerce policy guide will support small and less-developed countries

24 August 2017
News

A handbook to help small and less-developed countries benefit from improved digital trade has been published by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

A handbook to help small and less-developed countries benefit from improved digital trade has been published by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

'E-commerce and Digital Trade: A Policy Guide for Least Developed Countries, Small States and Sub-Saharan Africa' shows how the right policies can strengthen a country’s participation in the digitalised global economy.

Despite the vital role that such policies can play, their implementation in developing countries is often constrained by limited capacity.  The Commonwealth’s new publication addresses this shortcoming by reviewing current regulatory frameworks, legal issues, empirical data and existing literature on e-commerce and digital trade.

The report also provides an overview of the international support mechanisms that are available to help e-commerce stimulate trade and economic performance through technical assistance and capacity-building.

Teddy Soobramanien, Economic Adviser in the Commonwealth’s trade division, said: “This timely publication will help to fill the current knowledge gap for some of the smallest and least developed countries in the Commonwealth.  By supporting policymakers and providing guidance to new opportunities in e-commerce, we can help some of the enterprises in small and least developed countries develop their full business potential.”

A full copy of the report can be found here.