00:00In December 2023, the Ministry of Trade and Industry signed an agreement with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, for the advancement of the national e-commerce strategy of TNT, which includes its drafting.
00:16The first set of consultations was held in March and now the second round is underway through a two-day e-trade readiness assessment validation exercise and workshop.
00:27Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopiskun says this concludes the first phase of the e-commerce strategy and the commencement of the second phase.
00:36I am pleased that the work will also commence on the drafting of the national e-commerce strategy this afternoon,
00:43where stakeholders will provide guidance on the overarching components of the strategy through targeted discussions on division and mission, as well as identification of priority areas for focus in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:59The Minister calls the assessment a blueprint to informing the strategy, which she says must be well tailored to fit this country.
01:08Therefore, I must stress the importance of your objective and critical input and comments towards ensuring that the document accurately captures the local e-commerce context in your respective areas of focus.
01:23UNCTAD says significant research has been done into the ET-Ready assessment, including three surveys with the private and public sectors and consumers.
01:32His Programme Management Officer Ina Hodge states that the e-commerce strategy focuses on seven key policy areas.
01:40Namely, e-commerce assessment and policy formulation, ICT infrastructure and services, trade facilitation and logistics, legal and regulatory frameworks, payment solutions, digital skills development, as well as access to finance.
01:56UN resident coordinator Joanna Kazana says the e-commerce strategy can run down to the enhancement of sustainable development, economical competitiveness and regional integration, which in turn can reduce inequality.
02:10She also notes the resilience it provides in the face of natural disasters.
02:15E-trade in particular is allowing those other islands that are really heavily affected by providing them with quicker access to goods and services, food, water, medicine, whatever is needed in the recovery from hurricanes or other natural disasters.
02:34Alicia Bougie, TV6 News.
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