People attached with e-commerce have demanded the government devise a robust strategy for promotion of this sector to create jobs for youth. Ali Raza, who did his MPhil in International Relations from a state-run university, told WealthPK that he had started training youth in e-commerce to earn a living. He said e-commerce had great potential as the trend of online shopping was getting momentum. He said e-commerce offered multiple choices to an entrepreneur to launch his or her business without any government registration or seeking no-objection certificate. Keeping the significance of e-commerce in mind, commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan has approved an e-commerce promotion plan. He has urged the departments concerned to tap the potential of e-commerce by launching mass awareness and training programmes. Ali Raza said that Pakistan Post had a tremendous network across the country, which could help promote e-commerce if it was provided with facilities like e-commerce bookings and tracking systems.

Mushtaq Ahmed, a chartered accountant at a private firm, told WealthPK that without ensuring training on modern lines and joining hands with the international payment gateways, ‘we could not exploit the burgeoning potential of e-commerce’. He said Pakistani entrepreneurs invested huge amounts to run online stores linked to multinational companies. By joining hands with the international payment gateways, entrepreneurs could save the hefty amounts being incurred on different tools mandatory to receive the payments, he added. “Besides, we have to integrate Artificial Intelligence with e-commerce to take this sector to the next level,” he suggested. Mushtaq believes that AI integration would increase competitiveness and efficiency of e-commerce exporters. Adnan Ahmed, a software developer, talking to WealthPK said people from different walks of life were adopting e-commerce as their primary source of income. He said scores of people in rural areas were also trying their luck on launching e-commerce platforms.

He said rural communities’ participation in this segment underscored its importance, suggesting the future of online shopping was bright, having the capacity to engage a large number of people. “E-commerce is facing multiple issues in Pakistan like the compromised quality of products and delayed deliveries as no proper external check is available for courier companies,” he said. “The government should intervene and monitor the courier companies' performance, which would save storeowners from exploitation and financial losses,” he pointed out. Hamid Mehmood, a computer programmer and an online storeowner, said they could not ignore the importance of e-commerce, which is emerging as an important segment for earning. “However, this sector is facing challenges due to the internet connectivity issues and closure of some social media platforms in Pakistan,” he said. He said without utilising social media platforms, one could not attract customers. “Our youth are tech-savvy, especially familiar with online platforms, and this is a plus point for the promotion of e-commerce and freelancing in Pakistan,” Mehmood noted.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan