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E Commerce A Solution To Pakistans Economic Woes

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E-Commerce

A Plausible Solution to
Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Karachi Chamber Of Commerce & Industry

Research & Development Department

September 2019
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Executive Summary
Pakistan has long been in a quest to transform its economy into a vibrant and technologically
advanced country having a trade surplus, ample foreign exchange reserves, where its citizens
have greater job opportunities with better incomes and higher standards of living. If there is one
such sector that could be developed to achieve the national vision of prosperity, it could be
safely said that E-commerce is the one, as it tends to take almost all other sectors in stride.

E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet. By utilizing
E-commerce, businesses can extend their reach to national and international markets with
relatively lower capital investment.

Pakistan’s E-commerce industry has been estimated at PKR 99.3Bn in FY18 (FY17: PKR 51.8Bn)
with YoY growth of 92%. With a population of ~208Mn and a number of financial inclusion
solutions in terms of branchless banking, Pakistan offers one of the largest untapped markets in
the world for E-commerce. Although, the country has about 71.71Mn broadband subscribers
and 69.64Mn 3G/4G subscriptions, E-commerce has not reached to a level where electronic
money is predominantly used in place of cash for such transactions.

There are a host of reasons why Pakistan has not been able to realize its full potential in
developing its E-commerce system. Two factors highly critical for the promotion of E-commerce
industry in Pakistan are financial inclusion and literacy required to conduct a transaction. The
world’s preferred digital payment method, PayPal, is not available in Pakistan due to a number
of reasons. PayPal allows for low cost international transfer of funds for both E-commerce sales
and freelancing proceeds. Further, presence of global B2B and B2C portals like Amazon and eBay
is also lacking in Pakistan. If such a portal was present in Pakistan, it would have far-reaching
benefits across businesses as currently they are deprived of a large market opportunity.

Quality content is not readily available in regional languages of Pakistan. If good quality tutorials
describing steps to conduct E-commerce transactions in local languages in a simple manner are
available easily, the pace of E-commerce and digital transformation would increase quite
significantly.

Pakistan needs to use E-commerce as a tool to increase exports and lead to a higher tax
collection. This would lead to reduction in fiscal and current account deficits, shoring up of
foreign reserves and reduction in poverty. Pakistan has just scratched the surface with regard to
E-commerce. In order for Pakistan to get a bigger share of global exports, Pakistani businessmen
need to reinvent their strategy of conducting business and buy the most important real estate
of the 21st century – “online presence”.

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Table of Contents
What is E-commerce?.........................................................................................................1

E-commerce – a rapidly evolving global phenomenon ............................................................................1


Some interesting insights into global E-commerce consumer behavior..................................................2
Three evolving trends in global B2B E-commerce....................................................................................4
Pakistan’s E-commerce Landscape .................................................................................... 5

History and current structure of the Pakistan market ............................................................................6


Comparing Pakistan to India in E-commerce ...........................................................................................7
Hurdles in E-commerce expansion...................................................................................... 8

Absence of a globally accepted and viable payment system...................................................................8


Non-presence of global portals................................................................................................................9
Financial access and literacy ....................................................................................................................9
Imposition of taxes on a nascent industry .............................................................................................10
Lack of tutorials in native languages ......................................................................................................10
Dearth of effective regulation to counter E-commerce fraud ...............................................................10
The Pakistan Electronics Crime Act ........................................................................................................11
How can Pakistan improve its economy through E-commerce .......................................... 11

Become a cross-border E-commerce champion to increase exports ....................................................12


Cross-border delivery........................................................................................................................................ 12
International e-Payment solutions.................................................................................................................... 13
Issuance of digital currency by SBP ................................................................................................................... 13
Presence on global E-commerce platforms ...................................................................................................... 13
Developing an E-commerce ecosystem ............................................................................................................ 14
An instant antidote for Pakistan’s trade deficit: day shopping festivals................................................15
E-commerce for job creation .................................................................................................................16
E-commerce as a tool for poverty reduction – China’s Rural Taobao Program.....................................16
E-commerce as a tool for poverty reduction - E-Commerce Demonstration Program .........................17
Prime Minister’s E-commerce website scheme can add $ 1Bn a year ..................................................17
E-commerce and tourism .......................................................................................................................18

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

E-commerce and creative industry- The Korean Wave..........................................................................18


Cross-border opportunity – Entering the largest B2C cross-border market..........................................19
Some additional measures to increase Pakistan’s E-commerce exports...............................................20
Making Karachi the cross-border E-commerce capital of Pakistan .......................................................20
Pakistan has just scratched the surface – it needs to do a lot more......................................................21

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Pakistan has long been in a quest to transform its economy into a dominant position,
where it could be counted as a true Asian Tiger. A vibrant and technologically advanced
country having a trade surplus with its trading partners, ample foreign exchange
reserves to fund its imports, and where its citizens have greater job opportunities with
better incomes and higher standards of living. To progress in this quest, the government
has outlined an economic vision which also entails creation of 10Mn jobs in 5 years. To
realize this vision, the govt. needs to look no further than the E-commerce sector; if
there is one such sector which could be developed to achieve the government’s target,
it could be safely said that E-commerce is the one, as it tends to take almost all other
sectors in stride.

What is E-commerce?
E-commerce refers to E-commerce, or electronic commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or
the buying and selling services using the internet, including the transfer of data and money to fulfill the
of goods or services transactions. E-commerce removes the geographical barriers of trade as sellers from
using the internet different areas can deliver products and services to customers all across the country
and even the world. It diverts transactions from the black or informal economy by
bringing previously invisible goods, such as unlawfully imported goods or off the record
trading, into the formal economy.

Source: www.medium.com
Barrier of huge capital
investment is
considerably lowered as E-commerce – a rapidly evolving global phenomenon
organizations can start By utilizing E-commerce, businesses can extend their reach to national and
operating at a fraction international markets with relatively lower capital investment. Barrier of huge capital
of the cost required for investment is considerably lowered as organizations can start operating at a fraction
setting up a of the cost required for setting up a conventional business, while at the same time
conventional business reducing overheads associated with such traditional shops. E-commerce has increased
rural inclusion into mainstream society as people in rural areas now have access to the
same products and services as urban dwellers.

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

From the customer’s perspective, E-commerce software applications provide diverse


options to compare products while online reviews enable them to make better
informed decisions. E-commerce allows 24/7 shopping convenience, as unlike
conventional brick and mortar shops, the shop never closes. It saves hassle laden visits
to the markets and lowers air and traffic pollution and other associated health risks.

Evolving into a global phenomenon, worldwide E-commerce sales has grown to $


29Tn.1 Of this value, Business-to-Business (B2B) E-commerce commands the lion’s
share of 86% while the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) segment saw the highest growth,
About a quarter of the increasing by 22% to reach $ 3.9Tn. Majority of sales were driven by domestic buying
world’s shopping is from domestic vendors, but buying from foreign vendors is gaining traction as the
now being done share of such buyers has increased from 15% to 21%. About a quarter of the world’s
online, with China shopping is now being done online, with China alone having 440Mn online consumers.
alone having 440Mn In terms of country-wise sales, the United States is the undisputed king with almost $
online consumers 9Tn in sales, 3 times higher than Japan and 4 times higher than China.

World E-commerce Sales - Top 10 Countries ($ Tn - 2017)

10.00 0.75

5.00 8.13 0.15


1.06 0.09 0.07 0.21 0.09 0.06
2.83 0.03 0.02
0.87 1.41 1.22 0.55 0.64 0.45 0.37 0.31
-

B2B B2C Source: KCCI Research; UNCTAD

Some interesting insights into global E-commerce consumer behavior


Research into behavioral patterns of E-commerce consumers indicate that men
Men actually spend actually spend more dollars per transaction on average as they tend to buy higher
more dollars per priced items such as luxury goods and electronic items, whereas the female shopper
transaction on indulges herself more in lower priced items such as cosmetics and food.2 On average,
average men spend $ 220 per transaction compared to $ 151 per transaction for women.
Further, men are more inclined towards efficiency as they do bulk buying in order to
save both money and time.

Consumers have been observed to be loyal to a portal where they have had good
experience, indicating that the adage ‘first impression is the last impression’ also holds

1
UNCTAD estimates for year 2017
2
www.statista.com; KPMG Global Online Consumer Report

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

true in E-commerce. Retail sites get visited through mobile phones more (60%) for
product surveys and price comparison, but when it comes to completing the checkout
process, computers are the definite tools of transaction (60% of the transactions are
actually carried out through computers as compared to 40% by mobile devices).

B2C E-commerce Revenue per User (USD - 2018)

US 1,952
UK 1,639
Germany 1,101
France 1,010
China 634
Spain 601
Italy 407
Mexico 134
Brazil 123
Argentina 118
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000
Source:KCCI Research; Statista

Generation X people With respect to demographics, Generation X people (born in 1965-1980) are currently
(born in 1965-1980) the main drivers behind online sales globally, with average 19 transactions per year.
are currently the However, as income of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) start rising, their
main drivers behind share in online shopping is expected to far exceed older generations.
online sales globally
B2C E-commerce Market Revenue by Key Sectors ($ Bn)
3,000
253 267
2,500 233
210 423
2,000 398
168 187 364
324 438 460
1,500 154 284 407
251 370
228 332 581 619
1,000 281 302
474
531
368 417
500 331
759 837 896
444 500 577 668
-
2017 2018 2019(F) 2020(F) 2021(F) 2022(F) 2023(F)

Fashion Electronics and Media Toys, Hobbies & DIY


Furniture and Appliances Food and Personal Care
Source: KCCI Research; Statista

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Most Important Attributes in Customer Purchase Decision

Returns Policy 1%

Peer Advice 2%

Stock Availbaility 14%


Best Delivery
17%
Options/Price
Preferred Website 30%

Best Price 36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%


Source:KCCI Research; KPMG

Mobile wallets have overtaken cards as the method of choice to conduct E-commerce
transactions globally3, from electronic cards previously, as rapidly evolving technology
has created a dramatic shift. With ease of use of Fintech apps, Digital Wallets link
smartphones to make payments based on QR codes, NFC (Near Field Communication)
and other similar technologies.

Payment Mechanisms used in E-commerce World Wide


(By region, 2018)

Credit Card 23% 34% 45% 20% 17%

Debit Card 12% 19% 10% 20% 5%

Cash on Delivery 5% 4% 4% 7% 4%

eWallet 36% 20% 15% 21% 52%

Bank Transfer 11% 6% 9% 16% 12%

Others 13% 17% 17% 16% 10%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

World Wide North America


Latin America Europe, Middle East& Africa
Asia Pacific Source: KCCI Research; Statista

Three evolving trends in global B2B E-commerce


Recent analyses on global B2B E-commerce have revealed a very clear development: E-
commerce has quickly evolved into the buying method of choice for B2B customers. In

3
Digital in 2019
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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

fact, 57% of B2B companies believe commerce is rapidly shifting from offline to online.
B2B buyers increasingly prefer the option to self-serve online by researching,
contacting, buying, and managing their suppliers through a single web-based platform.

Three trends in particular that have had a substantial impact on how, when, and where
B2B companies sell their products and services are:

1. Building an E-commerce platform was a difficult task some years ago. Now
About 60% of
innovation has made it easier than ever for B2B companies to affordably and quickly
business buyers
create an online buying experience to meet their client’s needs.
purchase goods for
their companies 2. Two-thirds of B2B companies expect to stop publishing print catalogues within the
online next three to five years, moving instead to mobile-friendly versions that can be viewed
on mobile devices or tablets.

3. Before the emergence of E-commerce, most B2B buying processes were managed
on paper, through a digital order entry system or over the phone. Though some old
fashioned B2B customers still prefer those processes, about 60% of business buyers
purchase goods for their companies online.

Pakistan’s E-commerce Landscape


Pakistan’s E- Pakistan’s E-commerce industry has been estimated at PKR 99.3Bn4 in FY18 (FY17: PKR
commerce industry 51.8Bn) with YoY growth of 92%. Cash on Delivery (CoD) is still the prevalent payment
has been estimated at mode and makes 60% of total transaction volume. Digital payments
PKR 99.3Bn with YoY (credit/debit/prepaid cards, interbank funds transfer and mobile wallets) grew by an
growth of 92% impressive 93.7% in FY18 to reach PKR 40.1Bn compared to PKR 20.7Bn in FY17.

E-commerce in Pakistan ( By Value, PKR Bn)


200
158
150 126.4
99.3
100
63.2
51.8 50.56
40.1
50 20.72
4.52 11.3
0
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19F FY20F
Purchases using Digital Channels Total Purchases (Digital plus CoD)
Source: KCCI Research;SBP

With a population of ~208Mn and a number of financial inclusion solutions in terms of


branchless banking, Pakistan offers one of the largest untapped markets in the world
for E-commerce. Although, the country has about 71.71Mn broadband subscribers and

4
SBP
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

69.64Mn 3G/4G subscriptions, E-commerce has not reached to a level where electronic
money is predominantly used in place of cash for such transactions.

Internet Subscribers in Pakistan


80 71.71 69.64
70
58.3 56.1
60
50 44.6 42.1
40 32.2 29.5
30
16.7 13.5
20
10
0
FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19
Broadband Subscribers Mobile BroadBand Subscribers
Source: KCCI Research; PTA

History and current structure of the Pakistan market


The first Pakistani E- E-commerce arrived to the shores of Pakistan in the aftermath of the dot com bubble
commerce store, which burst in Silicon Valley in 1999. The first Pakistani E-commerce store, Beliscity,
Beliscity, was launched was launched in 2001. Although Beliscity failed, other early entrants like
in 2001 Pakwheels.com, Zameen.com and Homeshopping.pk were launched in 2003, 2006 and
2008 respectively, and are thriving today.

The first foreign entrant into the Pakistani E-commerce landscape was OLX, which
started its operations in 2010. In 2012, Rocket Internet, a German investment firm,
launched Daraz.com.pk and FoodPanda.pk. Ride hailing companies Careem and Uber
then ventured into the Pakistani market in 2015 and 2016 respectively, introducing a
new dimension in Pakistani cabbing.

Pakistan’s E-commerce players can be categorized as per the following types.

 Multi retailer platform: These are the dominant forces in the E-commerce industry
having a wide collection of products listed on their websites. Examples of these
platforms are Daraz, Symbios, Foodpanda, Bookme.pk, Yayvo, Goto, Well.pk etc.

 Niche retailers: They focus on one niche and try to leverage their specialty to drive
Services having sales. Examples are online stores like Higher.com.pk and Babynestboutique.com
dedicated apps are etc.
disrupting the
 Companies having their own online stores through which orders can be placed.
transportation business
Retailers like Gul Ahmed and Khaadi are good examples of this category.
in Pakistan
 Facebook/social media retailers have very well established Facebook stores or
groups. Examples are Facebook business pages (shops) like Karachi Buy & Sell.
Usually housewives and traders who want another avenue of sales make up the
bulk of this segment.

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

 Services having dedicated apps such as Uber, Careem, Paxi and Bykea are
disrupting the transportation business in Pakistan like they have globally. People
can book rides from the convenience of their homes.

Comparing Pakistan to India in E-commerce


Human Enterprise, is the To compare versatility of E-commerce ecosystems between competing economies,
entrepreneurial spirit to three fundamental parameters which can be evaluated are:
present solutions that
i) Logistics,
can generate demand.
ii) ICT and Payment Infrastructure, and most importantly
iii) Human Enterprise, which is the entrepreneurial spirit to present solutions that can
generate demand both domestically, and more importantly in the case of cross-
border E-commerce, internationally.

If we were to compare these 3 bedrocks with India, (India’s E-commerce sales


exceeded $ 400Bn in 2018) we can see that Pakistan trails in all categories, lagging in
key variables of logistics, such as customs processing, logistics infrastructure, and
performance of international shipments.

Pakistan - India Logistics Comparison

Timeliness 2.66
3.5
Tracking & Tracing 2.27
3.32
Logistics Competence 2.59
3.13
International Shipments 2.63
3.21
Infrastructure 2.2
2.91
Customs 2.12
2.96
LPI Score 2.42
3.18

0 1 2 3 4

*Figures for 2018 Pakistan India Source: KCCI Research;World Bank

The chart below depicts the UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index, which measures an
economy’s preparedness to support E-commerce development. Pakistan ranks in the
rankings at 120 as against India’s 83.

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

B2C E-commerce Readiness Index Rankings

China 65
Sri Lanka 73
Vietnam 74
India 83
Philippines 96
Bangladesh 103
Nepal 108
Pakistan 120

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
* Figures for 2017 Source: KCCI Research; UNCTAD

The biggest gap between India and Pakistan occurs in the value of human capital, which
lies at the heart of innovation. India has more than 15 E-commerce companies and
In terms of Human startups, valued at more than $ 1Bn, whereas Pakistan has none. In terms of Human
Capital Index for 2017, Capital Index rankings for 2017, Pakistan ranks 134th as compared to India’s 115th. It is
Pakistan ranks at 134th lamentable that Indian policy makers have figured out the correct theme to enhance its
in the world exports through cross-border E-commerce whereas Pakistan is still struggling in this
domain.

According to studies, Micro Sized Manufacturing Enterprises (MSME) that leverage


information technology grows more than two times faster than MSMEs that do not,
regardless of the sector. This clearly underlines the need for a robust ICT infrastructure
and awareness of businesses in order to benefit from E-commerce.

Hurdles in E-commerce expansion


There are a host of reasons why Pakistan has not been able to realize its full potential
in developing its E-commerce system in the manner many other competing economies
have done. The following sections elaborate on the reasons and provide solutions on
how such hurdles can be overcome.

Having access to PayPal Absence of a globally accepted and viable payment system
allows exporters to The world’s preferred digital payment method, PayPal, is not available in Pakistan due
receive money easily, to a number of reasons, including payment clearance complications, money laundering
due to lower transaction issues, and high costs of entry. Having access to PayPal allows exporters to receive
fee and an easy dispute money easily, as it charges only 2.5% as transaction fee and offers an easy dispute
settlement mechanism mechanism. Availability of PayPal leads to more business due to the trust factor.
Another reason for PayPal not coming into Pakistan is that it is not easy for small firms
to obtain business credentials. As such firms lack a credible trading history, international
payment providers such as PayPal tend to preclude them from engaging in any activity
whatsoever.

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Pakistan ranks as the 4th most popular country for freelancing in the world where
freelancers receive work from E-commerce platforms such as Fiver, Freelancer. Cross-
border payment solutions such as Payoneer and Skrill charge a fee between 5% and
30%. Having access to PayPal allows freelancers to ask their customers to remit
Pakistan ranks as the payments via this platform, at lower costs. Former Finance Minister Asad Umar said that
4th most popular Pakistan will try to bring PayPal’s services in the country or build its own replacement
country for as China did with Alipay. Unfortunately, nothing concrete has materialized as yet.
freelancing in the
world behind India, Another hindrance that freelancers face is in the form of official documentation, Form
Bangladesh and the R, required by the SBP. Freelancers describe the form as redundant and unnecessarily
US time consuming.

Top 10 Fastest Growing Freelance Markets (Q2-2019)

90%
78%
80%
70%
59%
60%
48% 47%
50%
40% 36% 35%
29% 27%
30%
20% 19%
20%
10%
0%

Source: KCCI Research; Global Gig Economy Index

Non-presence of global portals


In Pakistan, most Presence of global B2B and B2C portals like Amazon and eBay are lacking in Pakistan. To
businesses are SMEs evolve such a portal, a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit is needed with large
and are currently investment on marketing. China has the highest number of B2B marketing agencies in
deprived of a large the world, followed by the USA, India and Hong Kong. If a portal of the stature of
market opportunity Amazon was to be present in Pakistan, it would have far-reaching benefits across
businesses as in the case of Vietnam. (Vietnam has around 700,000 businesses of which
98% are SMEs). In Pakistan, most businesses are SMEs (around 3Mn) and are currently
deprived of a large market opportunity as only few of them are able to afford the old
school method of attending international trade fairs for business recognition.

Financial access and literacy


There are two factors highly critical for the promotion of E-commerce industry in
Pakistan: (i) financial inclusion (ii) sufficient literacy required to conduct a transaction.

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

Financial inclusion refers to the provision of financial services to low income segments
Two factors highly at a reasonable cost. Even with the success of branchless banking with mobile wallets
critical for the such as Easy Paisa and Jazz cash, Pakistan still has a large unbanked population residing
promotion of E- in rural areas. So a substantial effort is required to increase financial inclusion so that
commerce industry in they too can reap the benefit of the digital revolution. The other variable is the access
Pakistan: (i) financial to and literacy required to use the technology through which E-commerce takes place.
inclusion (ii) sufficient
The SBP is actively working to enhance financial inclusion in the country. Private
literacy
institutions such as Karandaaz are also working for the promotion of SMEs, particularly
startups that include E-commerce ventures. Such efforts are paving the way towards a
digital economy based on financial inclusiveness and empowerment of the unbanked,
particularly women. Initiatives like Women Entrepreneurship Challenge are being taken
where women-led startups are being provided funding and mentorship.

Imposition of taxes on a nascent industry


Tax imposition on online cab aggregators like Uber, Careem and Bykea and online
market platforms by the Sindh govt. in the recently announced provincial budget is a
negative step as E-commerce is in its infancy stages in the country. High taxation on this
nascent industry will discourage consumers from shifting towards digital economy,
High taxation on this leading to stalled growth. Current applicable rates of sales tax on E-commerce
nascent industry will businesses in Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan are 16%, 13%, 15% and 15%
discourage respectively.
consumers from
shifting towards Lack of tutorials in native languages
digital economy. One big barrier apart from poverty, illiteracy and lack of better infrastructure is that
quality content is not readily available in regional languages of Pakistan. If good quality
tutorials describing steps to conduct E-commerce transactions in Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto
or Seraiki in a simple manner are available easily, the pace of E-commerce and digital
transformation would increase quite significantly. The govt. should also encourage the
use of E-commerce amongst public through awareness campaigns to promote a culture
Pakistan as a nation of E-commerce, which supports electronic business transactions at national, regional
lacks the “customer and international levels.
is always right”
philosophy where Dearth of effective regulation to counter E-commerce fraud
customers are Pakistan as a nation lacks the “customer is always right” philosophy where customers
sometimes treated are sometimes treated as prey by businesses with mala fide intentions. The culture
as prey by flourishes due to minimal enforcement of laws pertaining to basic consumer rights.
businesses with Numerous cases abound where E-commerce sellers have not delivered on their stated
mala fide promises, resulting in disgruntled customers disillusioned at the whole concept of E-
intentions. commerce. Some of the misleading practice that consumers in Pakistan face are
inaccurate product listings, fake reviews by the companies themselves, overpricing,
misleading discounts, faulty and inaccurate products reaching or never even reaching
the consumer after the payment has been made. Additionally, late delivery times,
inconvenience of reverse logistics (the movement of goods back from customer to
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

vendor) and refunds and weak customer support are major reasons why many people
still prefer to buy from shops rather than online. This is also one reason why foreign
online businesses do not invest in Pakistan, as there is a lack of robust system of checks
and balances in place, one where criminals are prosecuted and consumer rights are
protected.

Therefore, strict online consumer protection laws need to be drawn up immediately so


that Pakistan may benefit from evolution of E-commerce. At the national level,
legislation must be supportive for E-commerce to grow. E-signature and e-contract laws
are needed to facilitate the establishment of online business. International e-payments
require regulations on the free cross-border flow of foreign exchange and, ideally, on
the prevention of online fraud and cybercrime. Increased technological awareness
would also help counter customer exploitation.

Government intervention may be key to addressing the vast majority of the problems
that affect aftersales. For example, by adopting laws and regulations specifically
designed to safeguard the economic interests of consumers (e.g. right to return and
cancellation policies, policies protecting data transfer and privacy, and information
The Pakistan
requirements). The government can surely help E-commerce businesses in their quest
Electronics Crime
to build a good reputation and encourage consumers to engage in E-commerce.
Act (PECA) 2016 has
provisions that
Inadequate protection of data is another issue that may arise in the context of cross-
offer remedy for
border delivery of services. A number of services require consumers to provide suppliers
any person who has
with personal data (e.g telemedicine). However, consumers want to ensure that their
been wronged by E-
data is used only for the purpose of the service to be provided and that they are not, for
commerce stores
example, transferred to third parties for unsolicited marketing or other unscrupulous
activities.

The Pakistan Electronics Crime Act


The Pakistan Electronics Crime Act (PECA) 2016 has provisions that offer a remedy for
any person wronged by E-commerce businesses. Customers can report these vendors
or E-commerce platforms to National Response Center for Cyber Crimes - FIA by writing
to helpdesk@nr3c.gov.pk.

How can Pakistan improve its economy through E-commerce


Pakistan needs to E-commerce gives a level playing field to new entrants who otherwise would have no
use E-commerce as chance to compete with existing established businesses without huge investments. E-
a tool to increase commerce will lead to brand building at the international level and also foster an
exports and lead to entrepreneurial culture in Pakistan, which would eventually lead to job creation.
a higher tax Pakistan needs to use E-commerce as a tool to increase exports and lead to a higher tax
collection. collection. This would lead to reduction in fiscal and current account deficits, shoring up
of foreign reserves and reduction in poverty. Pakistan has just scratched the surface

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E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

with regard to the E-commerce industry and its regulatory and legal frameworks; it
needs to work on them on a war footing. If it manages to build policies that support the
industry than rapid growth of Pakistan’s economy and its exports is possible.

Become a cross-border E-commerce champion to increase exports


Cross-border E-commerce refers to international trade of products via online shops
across national borders and is the most promising area that developing countries like
Pakistan needs to focus on.

One of the major reason for Pakistan’s weak exports is lack of realization that B2B E-
commerce exports are the present and future of exports. In order for Pakistan to get a
One of the major bigger share of global exports, Pakistani businessmen need to reinvent their strategy
reason for Pakistan’s how they conduct business and buy the most important real estate of the 21st century
weak exports is the lack – “online presence”. Pakistan therefore needs to learn from the model applied by its
of realization that B2B regional competitors for promoting its ICT industry and in turn enhance cross-border
E-commerce exports exports. It also needs to realize that its cross-border E-commerce growth will only
are the present and materialize when Pakistani entrepreneurs regularly come up with innovations instead
future of exports. of producing the same goods that they have been producing for decades.

Global B2C E-commerce and Cross-Border Sales ($ Bn)


2,000
1,525
1,500
918
1,000 674
558 476 502
402
500 216 176
71 73 61140 53 51 93 45 15 43 6
0
Asia Pacific Western North America Latin America Mid-Eastern Middle east and
Europe Europe Africa
B2C E-commerce sales 2014
B2C E-commerce sales(P) 2020
B2C Cross Border E-commerce Sales 2014
B2C Cross Border E-commerce Sales(P) 2020 Source: KCCI Research; Accenture

Cross-border delivery
Cross-border delivery depends critically on countries’ transport infrastructure and
customs clearance practices. Simplifying custom procedures would require the govt. to
review cumbersome regulation as well as corruption. A good step that the government
Pakistan Post has now has taken is that Pakistan Post has now extended ‘EMS Plus’ parcel export service to the
extended EMS Plus entire world. Parcels will be sent to 50 countries such as Japan, Canada, UK and US
parcel export service to within 72 hours. This will help boost cross-border B2C E-commerce exports from
the entire world. Pakistan.

Korean customs are working on to integrate cross-border transactions of leading E-


commerce marketplaces directly with their customs system. This will help resolve the

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


12
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

difficulties experienced by exporters, who must fill out many export declarations as a
result of the large numbers of sales. Korean Customs has also incorporated Simplified
Export Declaration for E-commerce, significantly reducing the information items on the
export declaration from 57 to 37. Pakistan Customs can replicate this with WeBOC
system to simplify and boost ecommerce export procedure.

International e-Payment solutions


To achieve cross-border E-commerce, it is vital to have international payment solutions
available. Although PayPal is not available in Pakistan, the good news is that with
SBP, in a welcome acquisition of 45% stakes of Telenor Microfinance Bank by Alipay, Alipay is expected to
move, has allowed be launched in the near term in Pakistan. Alipay is Chinese company AliBaba’s secure
banks to facilitate payment service. It is a third-party escrow service for B2B transactions, which holds the
freelancers and banks funds until both parties confirm delivery.
can now receive
remittances by resident Domestically there also exists PayPak which is a Pakistani domestic payment scheme
individuals from launched by 1Link under the State Bank of Pakistan Vision 2020. Currently, 20 of the
reputed online country's banks have adopted it. The new payment scheme aims to compete in the
platforms up to $1,500 domestic market with other international payment schemes like Visa & MasterCard.
per individual per PayPak’s strategic objective includes offering Domestic Payment Scheme to provide low
cost payment services to every citizen and business of Pakistan as businesses with
month.
relatively low sales volume are unable or unwilling to accept credit card payments due
to high transaction fees.

SBP, in a welcome move, has allowed banks to facilitate freelancers and banks can now
receive remittances by resident individuals from reputed online platforms up to $ 1,500
per individual per month. This limit needs to be enhanced further.

SBP has announced the A very big increase is expected in the number of freelancers in Pakistan, as under the
issuance of digital President of Pakistan Initiative of Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing, around
currency by 2025. 10,000 students are being taught the disciplines. Many students will enter the
freelancing arena in a year and introduction of Alipay may well yield a boost in their
forex based earnings.

Issuance of digital currency by SBP


In a positive development, the SBP has announced issuance of digital currency by 2025.
A silver lining for The creation and regularization of Electronic Money Institutions (EMI), which are non-
Pakistan is that in on bank entities, to issue e-money for the purpose of digital payments will usher in a new
the Alibaba portal, era for E-commerce in Pakistan. EMIs would complement governmental efforts in
Pakistan now has its creating facilitative environment for stakeholders in E-commerce. This will also help
own dedicated pavilion businesses in contributing for global competition through cross-border E-commerce.
Board of Investment (BOI) has also designed a digital regulatory system to keep a check
on electronic business transactions. The digital Business Regulatory Mapping Portal will
ensure accuracy and transparency in business transactions through e-commerce.

Presence on global E-commerce platforms


Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
13
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

A silver lining for Pakistan is that in on the Alibaba portal, Pakistan now has its own
dedicated pavilion. Currently there are more than 3,000 paid members and most of
them are based in Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad, while textile, leather, surgical
instruments and sports goods sectors are the top categories. Even before the launch of
Pakistan’s page, Ali Baba has been attracting local buyers and suppliers. Overall, it has
around 250,000 registered members from Pakistan.

Developing an E-commerce ecosystem


Many E-commerce startups have come up over the years in Pakistan, disrupting the
status quo, thanks to tech incubators across Pakistan such as the Nest I/O and IBA CED.
However, what is lacking is a startup that increases E-commerce exports. So the
government should create a tech incubator that solely focuses on creating cross-border
E-commerce startups.

There is a dire need for Pakistani venture capitalists and angel investors to invest in
these cross-border E-commerce exporting startups. Government should also consider
creating a fund dedicated for this purpose.

More workshops need to be conducted to give briefings on bureaucracy, policymakers


A truly global website and businessmen on what cross-border E-commerce is.
needs to be
multilingual, and Every business worth its salt must target the following:
versatile enough to
cater to international  Have a website
shipping choices and  Get itself listed on influential trade platforms in Pakistan and globally
 Develop a strong social media presence
multiple locally
 Appropriate budget allocations for digital marketing expenditure
preferred payment
options.
A truly global website needs to be multilingual, and versatile enough to cater to
international shipping choices and multiple locally preferred payment options. For
example, M-Pesa is the mobile wallet of choice in Kenya; if a Pakistani exporter wants
to make inroads in Kenya, he would need to integrate that payment option into his
website.

In western markets, especially Europe and America, consumers use E-commerce


platforms like Amazon and eBay. However, every country has different platforms and
Pakistani businesses need to focus on getting products listing on as many as possible
Global fashion
after understanding thoroughly the dynamics of that market. Chinese consumers, for
trends get instance, shop from marketplaces such as Alibaba, T-mall and Taobao, Japanese
dictated by
consumers shop from Rakuten and Indian consumers use Flipkart. In order to
Hollywood and
successfully sell into international markets, e-tailers (electronic retailers) should look to
Western
build a presence on appropriate platforms.
Television.
After tending to these initial considerations, Pakistani entrepreneurs need to identify
the most promising demand markets and then formulate the right strategy to penetrate
them. This can only be done after a thorough analysis of internet selling trends, which
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
14
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

simply means web traffic analysis. For instance, findings reveal that strong cultural and
colonial history has allowed UK-based retailers to successfully sell to former
commonwealth markets. Similarly, global fashion trends get dictated by Hollywood and
Western television catalyzes demand for Western brands globally.

Pakistan’s problem of Dilating on the same lines, Pakistan is a leading country in the world that produces
its trade deficit can be footballs. If Pakistani businessmen can leverage this good international reputation and
solved in less than 24 try to sell direct to consumers globally, a new channel of cross-border B2C E-commerce
hours sales can arise.

An instant antidote for Pakistan’s trade deficit: day shopping festivals


To solve Pakistan’s ridiculously tricky problems, out-of-the-box solutions are required.
Pakistan’s biggest problem is its trade deficit, yet it can be solved in less than 24 hours.
Pakistan, due to wide- On 11th Nov’18, Alibaba generated sales revenues of $ 30.8Bn in a single day during the
spread presence of its Singles Day event, 25% more than Pakistan’ exports in a whole year. (The Singles Day is
diaspora across the celebrated in China every year on 11th November and can be considered the biggest
globe in general, and shopping day event on earth).
in the Islamic world, is
in a unique position to Day-specific shopping festivals are a huge developing market which Pakistan needs to
create international start tapping into. Such shopping festivals are taking place in every part of the world
day-specific shopping and Pakistani businessmen needs to focus on them to capture market attention. When
festivals of its own less than 70,000 people can do it in a day, why cannot Pakistan replicate the same
success, albeit in smaller proportions.

Ali Baba November 11 Single's Day Revenue vs Pakistan's Whole


Year Exports ($ Bn)
35
30.8
30
25.84 25.3 25.55
23.67 23.98
25 21.67 21.38
20 17.8
14.3
15
9.3
10
5.7
5
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Ali Baba on Singles Day Pakistan's Exports


KCCI Research; Ali Baba & PBS

Pakistan, due to wide-spread presence of its diaspora across the globe in general, and
in the Islamic world, is in a unique position to create international day-specific shopping
festivals of its own. Some E-commerce day festival themes that Pakistan as a country
can do are:

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


15
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

1. Great Pakistani Global Day: For Pakistanis living abroad

2. Muslim World E-commerce Day: To market products having Islamic orientation

3. Pakistan Sports Day: To sell Pakistani sports goods

4. Tourism D’ Pakistan Day: To pitch Pakistan’s tourism services to foreign tourists

Pakistani businesses need to wake up from their slumber otherwise its largely stagnant
Pakistan can
exports will start to diminish. They need to open up their websites while also opening
increase its GDP by $
up to mobile commerce as traffic from offline models (such as procurement through
36Bn and create
paper, phone and digital order entry systems) is shifting to the web. They have to shift
4Mn jobs by 2025
away from searching for buyers in a pond that is getting emptier and shift towards E-
via an increase in
commerce.
the use of digital
financial services
E-commerce for job creation
alone
Pakistan can increase its GDP by $ 36Bn and create 4Mn jobs by 2025 via an increase in
the use of digital financial services alone.5 Other estimates suggest the online portals
such as Daraz could alone create 1Mn, direct and indirect jobs by 2022. Hence, a
substantial portion of the Prime Minister’s recent initiative to create 10Mn jobs can be
achieved by focusing on E-commerce.

Expected Gains in GDP Growth of Pakistan due to Digital Financial


Services (2016-2025)
8
7
7
6
5 4.4
4
3 2.4
2
1 0.2
0
Gains from New Labor Productivity Gains Investment Gains Overall Growth
Source: KCCI Research; McKinsey

The Rural Taobao


E-commerce as a tool for poverty reduction – China’s Rural Taobao Program
program helps
In China, rapid growth of E-commerce has been one of the chief drivers of change. The
farmers earn more
Chinese government, in collaboration with the AliBaba Group, launched the Rural
by selling directly to
Taobao program in 2013 to help farmers earn more by selling agricultural products
urban consumers
directly to urban consumers through online platforms, which has in turn given rural
consumers access to a wide variety of goods and services.

5
McKinsey, 2016
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
16
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

The program’s five main activities are listed below:

1. Develop rural financial services through Ant Financial (subsidiary of Alibaba)


2. Setup an E-commerce service network in counties and villages
3. Improve logistical connections for villages through “two-stage delivery” shipping
Packages from county centers to villages
4. Provide training in E-commerce to workers
5. Promote entrepreneurship

The Rural Taobao Program has expanded quickly, from 211 villages in 2014 to more than
3,202 villages in 2018.

Number of E-commerce Taobao Villages in China


3,500 3,202
3,000

2,500
2,118
2,000

1,500 1,331

1,000 780

500 211
20
-
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Source: KCCI Research; Ali Baba

E-commerce as a tool for poverty reduction - E-Commerce Demonstration


Program
China has also launched a program called Rural E-commerce Demonstration Program
China’s Rural E- with the aim of reducing poverty and modernization of rural areas through E-commerce.
commerce Its main activities consist of fostering rural E-commerce supply chains, establishing and
Demonstration improving rural E-commerce public service, promoting connectivity between agriculture
Program aims reduce and commerce, and enhancing E-commerce training. Thousands of villages, many of
poverty and modernize them at extreme poverty levels, have been immensely helped through this program.
rural areas through E-
commerce. Prime Minister’s E-commerce website scheme can add $ 1Bn a year
Just like the govt. introduced the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme to provide 5Mn
homes in a time frame of 5 years, boost the domestic economy by providing 10Mn jobs
and catalyzing the housing and construction industry of Pakistan, a low cost online
website creation scheme to boost the IT industry of Pakistan can create employment
and add $ 1Bn a year to exports. There are a total of 102, 8646 companies registered in
Pakistan while the number of unregistered companies run in millions. Of these, only a

6
SECP figures as of July’19
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
17
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

handful have websites, listings on cross-border trade platforms or social media


presence.

Under this proposed program, the govt. can subsidize website development of small
A low cost online
and cottage industries. There are more than an estimated 3Mn SMEs in Pakistan7,
website creation
majority of them operating in the informal economy. The govt. would only need to
scheme to boost the
initiate a website development program and training workshop for these companies.
IT industry of Pakistan
The govt. can set a target of creating 500,000 websites, with an aim to set up 100,000
sites in the first phase. 100,000 companies from the informal economy, with an online
presence - be it on their websites or any global E-commerce platform - with an
extremely doable online sales revenue of PKR 6,000 revenue every day, translates to
nearly $ 1Bn a year to the economy.

E-commerce and tourism


E-commerce gives Pakistan the opportunity to participate in global tourism value chains
Pakistan’s whole
and have equal Internet access to international tourist markets. Pakistani tour
tourism sector can
operators, flight and cars operators, hotels, and the whole tourism economy can benefit
benefit from the
from the adoption of cross-border E-commerce by getting listed on worldwide tourism
adoption of cross
sites such as Booking.com, Trip advisor, Expedia and Travelocity (to name a few) and
border E-commerce by
then doing digital marketing by the use of social media to drive international tourists
getting listed on
into Pakistan. A welcome step in this regard is that the govt. of Pakistan has established
worldwide tourism
an online visa system to promote tourism. Under this policy citizen of 175 countries can
sites
apply for visa online where as citizens from 50 countries can get visa on arrival.

Worldwide Digital Travel Sales ($ Bn)


900 818
800 756
694
700 630
600 565
471 496
500
400
300
200
100
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019(F) 2020(F)
Source: KCCI Research; Statista

E-commerce and creative industry- The Korean Wave


E-commerce has revolutionized the creative industry since Amazon came up with its
own online publishing e-book services. Now writers, artists, game producers and

7
Estimates by Alibaba
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
18
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

musicians are all reaping the benefits of E-commerce, as content producers have easier
access to distribution and have more communication channels at disposal. Following
the examples of India and Nigeria, Pakistan should try promoting its creative content,
be it movie, TV dramas or live shows, to a global audience through platforms such as
Pakistan also needs to YouTube and Netflix.
strengthen its unique
selling points to brand Pakistan also needs to strengthen its unique selling points to brand itself in both regional
itself in both regional and global markets. One big avenue is the Pakistani TV drama which is followed with
and global markets zeal regionally and globally. Pakistan’s Lawn fabric is a hallmark of its textile industry in
the global markets due to high quality of its fabric and unique designing. Textile firms
specializing in Lawn fabric can make use of the drama popularity to enhance their direct
to consumer E-commerce sales to consumers in neighboring countries, thereby
bypassing many regional trade barriers.

Similarly, writers in Pakistan can publish their work online and make it available to
South Korea’s online readers worldwide.
exports surged 25%
Korean Wave refers to the global popularity of South Korea's cultural economy
on the back of
exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies. The gradual
growing demand for
buildup resulted in South Korea’s online exports surging by 25% in 2018 on the back of
K-beauty and K-pop
growing demand for K-beauty and K-pop related items such as album records and
related items.
stationery supplies. Pakistan needs to develop a Pakistan wave similar to the Korean
Wave.

Digital Media Revenue ($ Bn)


200
180
160 14 15
14 14
140 13 26 28 29
13 25
120 12 21 23
19 36 37 37
100 33 35
27 30
80
60
40 79 83 87 90 93 95
74
20
-
2017 2018 2019(F) 2020(F) 2021(F) 2022(F) 2023(F)

Video Games Video on Demand E Publishing Digital Music

Source: KCCI Research; Statista

Cross-border opportunity – Entering the largest B2C cross-border market


The global business-to-consumer (B2C) cross-border E-commerce market is expected to
touch $ 1Tn by 20208, while China will remain the world’s biggest B2C market. Pakistan’s
current annual exports are around $ 24Bn; if Pakistan can leverage its close relation with

8
AliResearch and Accenture
Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department
19
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

China to get a very small fraction of its huge cross-border E-commerce market, this
could go a long way to solve the country’s economic woes. Garments, footwear and
CPEC provides an headwear are the products most in demand in China’s online shopping market; the
ideal opportunity for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides an ideal opportunity for Pakistan to
Pakistan to carve out carve out a bigger slice of this very lucrative market: this opportunity should not be
a bigger slice of this missed at all.
very lucrative
market Some additional measures to increase Pakistan’s E-commerce exports

 Specific E-commerce guides on the pattern of Austrade (trade development body of


Australia) translated into Urdu and regional languages can be published for
distribution to SMEs.

 A Karachi specific B2B E-commerce portal to enhance Karachi-based exports needs


to be developed.

 A Digital Chamber of Commerce having sole purpose of E-commerce promotion can


Business bodies in be formed. Lessons can be drawn from Malaysia’s Digital Chamber Of Commerce.
different economic  Regular workshops need to be conducted to improve product marketing through E-
sectors can play a commerce. Such workshops can also include brainstorming sessions to evolve ideas
part in developing an for expanding Pakistan’s product diversity and target markets.
entrepreneurial
 Pakistan Bureau of Statistics/ State Bank of Pakistan need to commission meaningful
culture to launch
researches on so that data pertaining to E-commerce gets regularly published. There
business incubators
is a severe dearth of reliable data on key metrics of E-commerce.
to help evolve
successful startups  Respective business bodies in different economic sectors can play a part in
developing an entrepreneurial culture to launch business incubators which can help
develop successful startups. These can be both technical IT businesses and non-IT
businesses focusing on cross-border E-commerce.

 A national policy to increase research and development in academia and corporate


sector is the need to times so that new products are developed in line with global
demand.

 The govt. needs to be pushed for greater focus on industrial capacity enhancement,
as without high value addition, all measures would be useless.

 The Ministry of Commerce should develop an E-commerce exports policy to


supplement to its core export policy. The step would put national development of E-
commerce into a proper framework, beseeching meaningful input from relevant
stakeholders.

Making Karachi the cross-border E-commerce capital of Pakistan


Karachi is the economic hub of the country that contributes about 53% to national
Cross-border E- exports and more than 70% to tax revenues of the country. It is where the largest
commerce was the number of exporters, traders and industrialists abound. To transform Pakistan through
catalyst for
Hangzhou's industrialResearch & Development Department
Product of: KCCI
upgrading and 20
economic growth
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

E-commerce, Karachi needs to take up its due role as the cross-border E-commerce hub
of Pakistan, similar to what Hangzhou did for China.

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, and home to China's E-commerce
giant Alibaba, was the first experimental zone for cross-border E-commerce. Its trade
volume in cross-border E-commerce has risen from 100Mn Yuan in 2014 to more than
60Bn Yuan in 2017, and the scale of the industry has grown nearly 500 times. Cross-
border E-commerce was the catalyst for Hangzhou's industrial upgrading and economic
Success of Hangzou growth.
led to the
Some of the policies that Hangzhou’s cross-border E-commerce zone offers are paper-
establishment of
less process of tax refunds. The govt. subsidizes the development of E-commerce for
other cross border E-
sectors such as such as electronics and clothing. The govt. also provides 50,000 Yuan in
commerce zones in
start-up fund for enterprise in these markets. Entities which exceed $ 1Mn in exports
China
are given a onetime subsidy of up to 30,000 Yuan. For easy payment, settling and
currency exchange, each enterprise and individuals is permitted to open overseas
accounts. The success of Hangzhou led to establishment of other cross-border E-
commerce zones across China.

Pakistan needs to apply similar policies in Karachi as, like Hangzhou, it is a port city with
Karachi needs to the largest educated population in Pakistan and the highest number of private
have a cross-border businesses who are part of traditional commerce. Karachi needs to have a cross-border
E-commerce zone to E-commerce zone to radically alter the destiny of the city and the country. To implement
radically alter the the plan, Karachi needs to be provided all facilities for setting up centers of innovation,
destiny of the city and requisite warehousing and logistics infrastructure, among other requirements.
and the country
Pakistan has just scratched the surface – it needs to do a lot more
Establishing online business, integration of preferred international payment options,
cross-border delivery and after sales service are the four main steps on getting started
and being successful with international E-commerce. Country specific logistics,
warehousing, regulatory requirements, import certifications, taxes and duties, and
Pakistan would do online marketing also need to be a key element in the Pakistani company’s strategy.
mighty well in E-
Global leaders in E-commerce are way far ahead of Pakistan thanks to good governance,
commerce if it could
higher value of human capital due to rigorous and innovative academic curriculum and
capitalize on the
higher industrial innovation and capacity building. Pakistan needs to focus on enhancing
humungous
its product variety and value addition levels, knowing well that the future of
opportunities
manufacturing is 3D printing, artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics,
presented by the
otherwise it will be further left behind in exports. Much emphasis is being laid on OBOR
Digital Silk Road
(One Belt One Road) initiative; Pakistan would do mighty well in E-commerce if it could
capitalize on the humungous opportunities presented by the Digital Silk Road.

Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


21
E-commerce – A Plausible Solution to Pakistan’s Economic Woes

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* Analysts: Uzma Taslim - Director, Shehzad Mubashsher – Deputy Director, M. Kamran Khan – Research Analyst,
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Product of: KCCI Research & Development Department


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