Pakistan’s first e-commerce policy is on the verge of getting implemented and eventually benefit the overall dwindling economy. This policy framework will not only bring revenue to the country but also digitize and replace old Cash on Delivery (CoD) payments by online payments. The government plans to digitize CoD payments above 10000 PKR by the year 2022, and all CoD payments will be replaced with online payments by the year 2029. PM Khan appreciated this framework and said that it will add great value to new initiatives such as Pakistan’s Kamyab Jawan Programme and One-Woman, One Bank Account.

Main factor which made the government introduce this policy was the fascinating figures of the e-commerce sales from year 2017 to 2018. It grew from 20.7 billion PKR to 40.3 billion PKR, which is a 93.7% increase. 

E-commerce policy guideline has these nine key features:

1.    E-commerce Regulation and Facilitation 
2.    Financial Inclusion and Digitization through Payment Infrastructure
3.    Empowering Youth and SMEs through Business Support Programs and Trade Development
4.    Customer Protection
5.    Taxation Structure 
6.    ICT Infrastructure and Telecom Services in Pakistan
7.    Logistics
8.    Data Protection and Investment
9.    Global Connectivity and participation in Multilateral Negotiation

Lastly, 64% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 29. As youth quickly adopts technology, so IT sector in Pakistan is growing faster than ever and these policy frameworks will add in building a robust economy. Also, launching 5G services, reaching fourth in the list of freelancing countries and now bringing this framework in quick succession highlights our potential in the IT sector.