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 13 February  2023 
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Council for Trade in Services    
 
COMPILATION OF THE EXPERIENCES SHARED BY MEMBERS  
UNDER THE  E-COMMERCE  WORK PROGRAMME  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
This Note has been prepared at the  request of the Council for Trade in Services at its meeting of 
8 December  2022.2 It compiles the experiences  shared by Members  under the e-commerce Work 
Programme since 19 February 2021, when the then Chairman of the Council had issued a Note titled 
"Information related to digital capabilities shared by Members under the e -commerce Wo rk 
Programme".3 
 
The information is extracted from the "Work Programme on Electronic Commerce" section of the 
minutes  of the meeting s of the Council held in 2021 and 2022 . It reproduces the part of delegations' 
interventions that relates to the  experience s shared , organised chronologically.  
 
1  COUNCIL MEETING OF 5 MARCH 20214 
3.8.  5 The representative of Chile said that […]  he wished to make a contribution […] about domestic 
programmes, policies or practices that had been or were being put in place to increase digital 
capability and address the digital divide as they related to e -commerce, including any assistance to 
MSMEs.  
3.9.  In that regard, he mentioned th e programme "Digitaliza tu PyME", which had been developed 
by Chile's Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, together with Corfo and Sercotec. That 
initiative aimed to help smaller firms in Chile use digital technologies to increase sales, lower cos ts 
and improve their relationship with clients and suppliers. To achieve that objective, the programme 
offered distinct activities and tools, like trainings, lectures, consulting services and platforms.  
3.10.  As a first step, the programme offered a digital check -up. MSMEs responded to a questionnaire 
that enabled a complete evaluation of the degree of digital maturity, on the basis of which qualified 
consultants made personalised recommendations to improve the  company's process of digitalisation, 
which was evaluated over time.  
3.11.  In addition, through different platforms and webinars, interested MSMEs were invited to learn 
about how digital technologies could be used to their advantage and how digital knowl edge and tools 
could be used in the running of their business.  
3.12.  The programme also included a free nationwide platform called "Pymes de Barrio" which 
connected consumer needs with MSMEs' supply through a virtual assistant. That greater digital 
prese nce was aimed at expanding MSMEs' sales channels. Moreover, an agreement had been 
reached with different firms focused on logistics for e -commerce to enable signed -up MSMEs to ship 
their products and easily sell from a digital application. Information abou t the programme was 
presented in a simple and accessible manner on the initiative's website, www.digitalizatupyme.cl . 
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
2 Document S/C/M/151, paragraph 6.30.  
3 Document JOB/SERV/CTS/4.  
4 Document S/C/M/145.  
5 The paragraph numbers refer to the relevant paragraphs of the original reports.  S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  3.14.  The representative of the Republic of Korea  […] wished to give an update about online 
shopping statistics in Korea. Prior to the pandemic, the proportion of online shopping in total retail 
sales was around 22%. That ratio had skyrocketed to around 28% in February and March 2020, 
bringing it to 26.2% in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter, when the social distancing 
policy had been eased, the ratio had stabilized at around 25.7%. In the third quarter, however, the 
ratio had increased again, to around 27.3%. In the fourth quarter, the ratio had sharply increased, 
to 29. 2%. Finally, in December 2020, online shopping had accounted for 30.4% of total retail sales, 
which was a dramatic figure and the first time that it had been above 30%.  
3.15.  What had been the factors contributing to that sharp increase in e -commerce tran sactions in 
Korea? The tightened social distancing policy in the fourth quarter of 2020 had been partially 
responsible for that phenomenon, but there had also been a fundamental shift in consumer 
behavioural trends. Many more people had become more accusto med to online shopping than offline 
shopping. Shopping via mobile devices accounted for about 70% of the total in December 2020, 
which was an increase of 4% compared to the previous year.  
3.16.  In Korea, there was a high rate of mobile device distribution , the IT infrastructure was well 
established, and delivery services were also highly developed. Some of those features had been 
supported by government policies. Korea's well -functioning online shopping system had acted as a 
preventive measure against COVI D-19 and at the same time had led to steady consumption and a 
resilient economy.  
3.17.  A few weeks earlier, an innovative e -commerce company operating in Korea, which offered 
huge advantages in terms of rapid delivery and quality control, had announced i ts IPO plan at the 
NYSE. That move was aimed at raising more capital for deeper and broader innovation in the field 
of e-commerce.  
3.18.  Online shopping platforms worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unlike offline shopping. 
The online shopping indu stry was a kind of battlefield full of competition and innovation. The Korean 
delegation firmly believed that online retail had become more competitive due to open competition 
and continuous innovation. Many online retail companies had been financed by ven ture capital, with 
some companies evolving from offline retail business. Other companies were subsidiaries of global 
online retail chains. In terms of business model, some companies were agents and others functioned 
as dealers. Some companies were trying t o be more competitive as dealers by focusing on quick 
delivery or just -in-time delivery, especially in the early morning.  
3.19  Korea believed that those kinds of innovations came from open competition. The Korean 
government had not been seeking what the industry should exactly be like, but it had been creating 
a level playing field and a business -friendly environment for market participants.  
3.37.  The representative of China  […] [said that , a]t that meeting, her delegation would continue 
to share China' s experiences on how to play the leading role of e -commerce to promote high -quality 
business development.  
3.38.  First, with regard to the application of digital technology, China was actively undertaking 
digitally -enabled transformation and digital busine ss service innovation initiatives, while encouraging 
enterprises to carry out innovation with the application of advanced information technology in 
business such as 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and blockchain, expanding 
the sco pe of application of electronic invoices, electronic contracts and electronic documents, and 
enhancing the application of new business models and scenarios such as contactless services and 
cloud exhibitions, to provide robust support for the recovery of ec onomic activities during the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  
3.39  Second, China further empowered rural development with technologies and gave full play to 
e-commerce to achieve targeted poverty alleviation. China's rural market was vast, but the facilities 
were poor and under -exploited. Therefore, China had urged e -commerce enterprises to strengthen 
the construction of rural e -commerce infrastructure, such as logistics and distribution, and promote 
the synergistic development of e -commerce and express logistics. Moreo ver, China was actively 
improving the level of e -commerce on agricultural products. For example, China promoted the 
certification of "non -polluted, green food, organic and geographical indications" applied on S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  agricultural products, encouraged the brand bui lding of those products as well as the development 
of 'contract farming' in order to facilitate sales via e -commerce.  
3.40.  In addition, in the context of COVID -19, China was committed to promoting the digital 
upgrade of consumption. With the arrival of t he Chinese lunar new year, China had taken pragmatic 
measures to promote online consumption, such as holding the "Brands and Qualities Online Shopping 
Festival" and the "National Online New Year Festival", encouraging e -commerce enterprises and 
businesses to better participate in e -commerce and stimulating consumers' consumption potential. 
Statistics showed that during the nearly one -month "New Year Festival", China's online retail sales 
had reached CNY 905.7 billion, and online food and beverage sales had increased by 48.5% 
compared to the same period in 2020. Moreover, China had also further revised relevant laws and 
regulations, improved industry standards, fostered new consumption and business models, and 
encouraged e -commerce platforms to develop custom ization to meet diversified consumption needs.  
2  COUNCIL MEETING OF 1 JULY 20216 
3.6.  The representative of the Republic of Korea  […] [said that , p]rior to the pandemic, the 
proportion of online shopping among total retail sales was around 22%. According t o the statistics 
authority in Korea, the ratio had skyrocketed to around 26.7% annually in 2020, reflecting an 
ongoing upward trend. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the ratio was around 28.7%.  
3.7.  The report issued by UNCTAD in June 2021 also highlighted  the dramatic increase in the share 
of online retail sales among total retail sales. According to UNCTAD's report, online retail sales had 
grown noticeably in several countries, including China, the United Kingdom, the United States and 
Singapore. The Repu blic of Korea had reported the highest share, at 25.9% in 2020, up from 20.8% 
the year before. The UNCTAD figure was a little lower than Korea’s official statistics, presumably due 
to methodology issues.  
3.8.  The sharp increase in e -commerce transactions  in Korea reflected the fundamental shift in 
consumer behavioural trends, as well as tightened health measures in the course of combatting 
COVID -19. His delegation firmly believed that the Korean e -commerce industry had helped to tackle 
the COVID -19 pandem ic and at the same time had led to economic resilience and recovery. […].  
3.9.  At the December 2020 meeting, his delegation had presented a specific government 
programme, which was the MSMEs Remote Work Facilitation Programme. Under that Programme, 
MSMEs  had been able to receive voucher -based services related to virtual communication, working 
from home, cybersecurity, and even childcare services so that they could carry out their regular 
tasks in the period of tightened social distancing. He wished to pro vide an update with regard to that 
Programme.  
3.10.  In the course of its implementation, some measures had been deployed for reasons such as 
efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. Currently, online application was recommended, 
and simplified information of listed services was easily accessibl e. Within the annual ceiling amount 
of USD40,000 per beneficiary company, USD20,000 was the maximum amount that one beneficiary 
company could be provided by a specific service supplier. As a result, a beneficiary could be provided 
with various voucher serv ices from at least two suppliers.  
3.11.  After receiving applications from potential beneficiaries in February, voucher -based services 
had started to be provided in April. The program operator was currently surveying customer 
satisfaction, which was expec ted to be reflected in the future operation of the Programme."  
3.12.  The representative of China  [...] [said that a] t that meeting, he wished to share some 
information on the recent development of e -commerce in China.  
3.13.  Since the outbreak of the COVI D-19, e -commerce had played a prominent role in ensuring 
supplies, resuming work and production, and enabling consumption, acting as a stabilizer for 
economic and social development. Taking China as an example, in 2020, China's national online 
retail sales  had hit CNY  11.76 trillion, or around USD  1.8 trillion, an increase of 10.9% year -on-year, 
while the online retail sales of physical goods had reached CNY  9.76 trillion, a jump of 14.8% year -
 
6 Document S/C/M/146.  S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  on-year and accounting for nearly a quarter of the total retail sales of consumer goods. Import and 
export volume of China’s cross -border e -commerce in 2020 was CNY  1.69 trillion, corresponding to 
an annual growth of 31.1%.  
3.14.  The crisis had also seen the expansion of new e -commerce business models, such as contact -
free delivery, intelligent logistics and e -sales live streaming. In 2020, major e -commerce platforms 
in China had hosted over 24 million live broadcasts in total. Online education sales had increased by 
more than 140% year -on-year, while online medical co nsultations had increased by 73.4%. 
E-commerce had also provided a strong impetus to rural revitalization and poverty alleviation, which 
his delegation had introduced at the CTS before.  
3.23.  The representative of South Africa  […] [said that, w] ith respec t to South Africa's national 
circumstances, the digital economy had to be as inclusive as possible, focusing on job creation, 
transformation and growth. With South Africa's unemployment rate at 32.6%, if digital platforms 
could target those three areas, in  her delegation's view they would be able not only to scale 
effectively but provide services and products that were relevant across disparate income brackets.  
3.24.  Platforms had not only to employ low -skilled workers but to assist with rural economic 
development, to upskill South Africans and to provide support to MSMEs. Locally developed platforms 
focused on solving domestic problems that predominately occurred in rural areas or townships where 
service delivery was limited and had big relevance for othe r developing and LDC markets. For 
example, Lumkani was a South African tech -based solution, developed as an early warning system 
for shack fires. This was coupled with low -cost insurance products to provide both safety and 
financial security to clients.  
3.25.  But the full digital capability of business and consumers was constrained by lack of 
infrastructure, device and data availability, as well as digital literacy among consumers, especially 
in rural areas, who were largely excluded from the platform ec onomy. Therefore, while there was a 
lot of promise held within the digital economy, a significant portion of it catered largely to the middle - 
and upper -income consumers. That meant that large portions of low -income consumers in Africa 
and elsewhere were e xcluded from the digital economy because the goods and services available 
were either not relevant to their needs or were unaffordable. Low -income households also needed 
support to unlock digital business capability; as her delegation had observed, that wa s where some 
of the best problem -solving for development emerged.  
3  COUNCIL MEETING OF 22 OCTOBER 20217 
5.8.  The representative of the Republic of Korea  […] [said that ] his delegation had provided updates 
on Korea's online shopping trends following the COV ID-19 outbreak and related statistics. Prior to 
the pandemic, the proportion of online shopping among total retail sales was around 22%. That 
share had skyrocketed to around 27% annually in 2020. That figure reflected an ongoing upward 
trend and consumer b ehaviour in favour of e -commerce in the process of overcoming the pandemic. 
Changes in online shopping trends were going to continue to be observed in the future, especially in 
the period transitioning to normal business and consumption activities.  
5.9.  Second, Korea had presented to the CTS in -depth information about domestic programmes, 
such as the MSMEs remote work facilitation programme and the online business support programme. 
Through those domestic programmes, the Korean government was trying to hel p MSMEs be 
equipped with digital capability and be able to carry out their regular tasks even in a period of 
tightened social distancing.  
4  COUNCIL MEETING OF 11 MARCH 2 0228 
3.2.  Regarding the exploratory discussion on supporting the digital capability of businesses and 
consumers, t he representative of  Republic of Korea  wished to address three aspects, namely, Korea's 
statistics on e -commerce activity, an update on domestic programmes related to digital capability, 
and digital ODA programmes.  
 
7 Document S/C/M/147.  
8 Document S/C/M/14 8. S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  3.3.  First, the representative presented an update on Korea's online shopping trend following the 
COVID -19 outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the proportion of online shopping of goods in total retail 
sales was around 21.5%. That share had skyrocketed to 26 .3% in 2020 and it had continued to 
increase, to 27.5%, in 2021. Despite some fluctuations, the overall social distancing policy adopted 
in Korea over the course of the previous year had been similar to that in 2020.  
3.4.  That statistic reflected an ongoi ng upward trend and consumer behaviour in favour of e -
commerce in the course of coping with the pandemic. The representative cautiously expected that 
the heavy dependence on online transactions on the part of Korean consumers would continue in 
the followin g years and would not return to pre -pandemic levels because consumers had become 
accustomed to the efficiency and convenience of digital shopping. Therefore, it was even more 
important for governments to focus on nurturing the digital capability of busines ses and consumers, 
and also to narrow the gaps among them.  
3.5.  Second, at previous Council meetings Korea had presented in -depth information about 
domestic programmes, such as its online business support programme. Through those programmes, 
the Korean Go vernment had been trying to help MSMEs be equipped with digital capability, especially 
during the period of tightened social distancing. Under the online business support programme, 
MSMEs in Korea had been able to receive voucher -based services such as vir tual communication, 
working from home, and cyber security. Interestingly, the implementation activities of that 
programme, such as application, selection, contracting, and settlement, had also been processed 
electronically, which had also contributed to th e digital literacy of MSMEs. The number of 
beneficiaries of that programme had been around 78'000 in 2020 and around 67'000 in 2021. 
Considering the expected decrease of marginal effects, in 2022 Korea would start phasing out the 
programme.  
3.6.  Lastly, t he representative addressed Korea's digital ODA programme. Korea was firmly 
determined to contribute to closing the global digital gap and was involved in various programmes, 
ranging from general digital literacy to special areas such as education, healthc are, and government -
related public services. He provided the example of the programme of the Information Access 
Centres. It was noteworthy that more than a third of the world's population had never used the 
internet, according to the United Nations. For th e purpose of facilitating the internet access of 
developing countries and LDCs, the Korean Government had contributed to establishing around 60 
Information Access Centres in over 40 countries. An Information Access Centre usually consisted of 
a digital lit eracy education space, an internet lounge, and a seminar room. Korea looked forward to 
those Centres playing a part in substantially narrowing down the digital divide within the beneficiary 
countries.  
3.8.  The representative of China  […] indicated that C hina was developing the "Silk Road E -
commerce" as part of its efforts to strengthen the bilateral cooperation at different levels, following 
the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits. China had established an e -
commerce bilateral co operation mechanism with 23 countries in five different continents. Silk Road 
E-commerce was a new channel and new engine of economic and trade cooperation. Since 2020, 
China and its partners had organized a series of activities to cope with the COVID -19 crisis. Activities 
such as "Silk Road E -commerce Capacity Building Online Lectures", and "Brand and Quality Online 
Shopping Festival" had both boosted the international trade of China's trading partners and enriched 
the choices of Chinese consumers.  
3.10.  […T]he representative of Chinese Taipei  wished to present its experience on how to cope with 
the challenges of cybersecurity and personal data protection.  
3.11.  Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, business activities and consumer behaviours had largely 
switch ed to online channels and portals. That trend of switching had generated not only enormous 
opportunities for online services, but also new challenges in terms of cybersecurity and personal 
data protection.  
3.12.  In response to the emerging risks associat ed with the accelerated development of e -
commerce as a result of the pandemic, the relevant authorities of the Separate Customs Territory 
of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu had undertaken some strategies and measures to support 
and enhance online retail f irms' capacity for protecting personal data and safeguarding 
cybersecurity. The following were some examples of concrete strategies and measures taken.  S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  3.13.  First, it had provided consultation services to assist online retailers on how to establish 
personal information management systems and strengthen their information security, including 
establishment of incident/situation response mechanisms and strengthening supervision of 
outsourced companies. Second, it had enhanced investigations into suspected pe rsonal information 
leakages and reinforced administrative actions aimed at legal compliance by online retailers and 
reducing the risks of information leakages. Lastly, it had formulated reference guidelines on 
information security for the online retail ind ustry, provided training courses and encouraged 
information/experience sharing among online retail operators. It had also encouraged online 
businesses to join the joint defence system for information security in order to take advantage of 
the joint actions  against cyber risks.  
3.29.  The representative of Chad, speaking on behalf of the LDC Group  […] [said that d] espite the 
challenges posed by COVID -19, the number of Internet users had increased by 20% in LDCs, 
reaching 27% of the population in 2021, up fr om 21% in 2019. But there was still much progress to 
be made, given that in 2021 the divide between LDCs and developed countries in terms of the 
percentage of the population with Internet access was 63%.  
3.30.  At the occasion of the webinar the Council h ad held in June 2021, a number of challenges and 
opportunities had been identified with regard to the ability of LDCs to make use of the advantages 
of e-commerce. In particular, the unequal bargaining power of platforms had been highlighted as a 
problem fa ced by LDC service suppliers in terms of negotiating rates. Another dimension that had 
been underlined was the difficulty of complying with digital rules and legislations. In terms of 
opportunities, e -commerce had been viewed as enabling services to be pro vided 24 hours a day and 
encouraging teleworking and self -employment. Another opportunity involved providing LDCs with 
assistance to create platforms and acquire knowledge in the intellectual property area to avoid 
potential copyright infringements, for ex ample.  
3.31.  Overall, electronic commerce could contribute to the diversification of different types of 
economic activities, especially in niche sectors with higher added value. In addition, e -commerce 
could facilitate the diversification of export market s. According to an ITC report, for example, 
Bangladesh had been able to reduce its dependence on its top ten export markets from 69% to 59% 
thanks to e -commerce, Nepal had cut its reliance from 91% to 65%, and Cambodia had been able 
to reduce its dependenc e even further, from 91% to 48%. That showed the major role that 
digitization and e -commerce had played.  
3.37.  The representative of Singapore  […] wished to share updates on how Singapore had been 
enhancing digital inclusion in two dimensions, domestical ly and internationally.  
3.38.  First, domestically Singapore had taken concrete efforts to support SMEs in the retail sector 
that had been badly hit by the pandemic. Measures, including a "booster package" to aid such 
companies in setting up online sales channels, had been put in place for the e -commerce sector. 
These were useful in helping small companies to build up e -commerce capabilities and diversify their 
revenue streams.  
3.39.  Second, on the external front Singapore had also launched "FOSS for goo d" technical 
assistance package at the 76th UNGA on 6 September 2021. The package would run from 2022 to 
2023 under the Singapore Cooperation Programme and would provide a peer -learning platform for 
FOSS states to share experiences, best practices and solu tions to tackle the unique development 
needs and challenges for small countries in areas including digital transformation.  
3.40.  The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  […] wished to share some of the Kingdom's 
experiences in the field of digit al trade.  
3.41.  The COVID -19 crisis had made the digital industry in Saudi Arabia become central to every 
interaction in people's lives, forcing both business and consumers further up the adoption curve 
almost overnight.  
3.42.  Saudi Arabia's investments in technology had paid off in its fight against the pandemic. With 
Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia had initiated a national transformation strategy to shift from an oil -
dependent economy to a digitally empowered one. The Kingdom had in troduced legislation and 
frameworks, created institutions, formed international partnerships, and focused on introducing S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  digital solutions in priority services sectors – justice, health, electricity, culture and tourism - with a 
clear goal of becoming the region's technology leader.  
3.43.  The Saudi prioritisation of digital transformation had resulted in the gradual deployment of 
commercial 5G networks in 2019 in more than 20 cities. The launch of 5G had also helped to boost 
the Kingdom's technological credentials among investors who were k een to invest in industries that 
would benefit from 5G capabilities, such as technology, finance, education, and the public sector. In 
addition, the Government had introduced a host of smart tools that had proved effective and had 
gained the public's trust .  
3.44.  Saudi SMEs were already on the road to higher cloud adoption, and the COVID -19 crisis would 
further accelerate that trend. More than 25% of enterprises in the Kingdom had plans in place to 
deploy a mix of on -premises/dedicated private clouds, mul tiple public clouds and legacy platforms 
to meet their infrastructure needs.  
3.45.  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had advocated for digital response and recovery and had 
promoted collaboration with international organizations and the private sector, marking  a shift in 
Saudi priorities.  
5  COUNCIL MEETING OF 16 MAY 20229 
3.6.  The representative of India [said that] India had been working on creating the requisite 
technology infrastructure, an enabling regulatory framework and a vibrant start -up eco -system 
leveraging its technology prowess, skilled workforce, and spirit of entrepreneurship. The public 
digital infrastructural assets which India had created had unleashed the power of productivity in the 
economy.  
3.7.  In that regard, she highlighted two importan t areas of e -commerce that India had embarked 
upon: first, financial inclusion and payments – in 2021, 40% of all real -time payments around the 
world were made in India. In March 2022, Indians had made more than 5 billion transactions on 
Unified Payments I nterface (UPI). In the financial year 2021 -2022, the value of payments made by 
India's UPI was more than 1 trillion. That system had not been in existence until 2016, but in a 
period of just 6 years it had led to nationwide financial inclusion, mobile paym ent regulation, and 
transformed business -to-business and business -to-consumer payments.   
3.8.  She pointed out that international payment processes had been in existence in countries for 
several decades, but none of them could release those animal spirits  in the economy, not because 
they were not capable of doing so, but because they had no incentive to innovate in the Indian 
context. She noted that, when it had been left to a few international players, India had seen fewer 
than 50 million credit cards iss ued in several decades. But the home -grown financial inclusion in 
India had achieved more in 6 years than had been achieved in those several decades. Second, India 
had just launched a pilot on open networks for digital commerce, which enabled small sellers  to 
participate in e -commerce on fair terms, without leaving them to the vagaries of platforms and 
aggregator oligopolies.   
3.9.  It was evident that large e -commerce platforms had been at the receiving end of penalties and 
investigations in several count ries, including in the developed world. India's approach had been to 
create a nationwide platform which enabled digital commerce for MSMEs.  
3.12.  The representative of China  […] shared an example of how China had been providing 
development opportunities t o sellers from outside China to sell their products in China through e -
commerce. The fourth Brand and Quality Online Shopping Festival and Quality African Products 
Online Shopping Festival had been held from 28 April to 12 May that year, hosted by the Mini stry of 
Commerce and other Chinese Ministries. That Festival was an online shopping promotion for African 
goods in China.  Through live -streaming events featuring participants ranging from Ambassadors to 
African live -selling anchors, signature products fro m 23 African countries, including Ethiopian coffee, 
Rwandan chilli sauce and Kenyan black tea, were on display and had been sold in China. The online 
 
9 Document S/C/M/149.  S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  shopping festival not only provided more diversified options to Chinese consumers but also promoted 
the im port of African goods.  
3.14.  The representative of Egypt  briefly shared Egypt's experience and its initiatives for digital 
transformation and e -commerce, as the Egyptian Government, represented by the Ministry of 
Communications and Information Technology  (MCIT), in coordination with the concerned authorities, 
sought to build a digital Egypt and reach an Egyptian society that would deal digitally in all aspects 
of life.  
3.15.  Digital services in Government institutions were aimed to enhance the performan ce of 
Ministries and other Government agencies, raise the quality and efficiency of services provided, 
improve the work environment, and provide support for the decision -making process and finding 
solutions to issues of interest to society.  
3.16.  The str ategic view of digital transformation in Egypt aimed to improve the citizens' quality of 
life, by improving their living conditions and providing multiple electronic services; transform into a 
digitally interconnected Government, by linking Government digi tal systems and improving work 
within the Government's administrative institutions to work efficiently and effectively; and enhance 
the values of transparency, accountability and monitoring through interaction and partnership 
between the various elements o f society.  
3.17.  Additionally, Egypt sought to carry out structural reforms in that sector; some steps had been 
already taken with the establishment of the National Payments Council, the Supreme Council for 
Cyber Security, and the establishment of the Sup reme Council for Digital Transformation.  
3.18.  The launching of the ICT strategy as part of the Sustainable Development's Vision 2030 had 
supported the development of the ICT sector and contributed to digital economic growth through 
initiatives that encou raged a number of aspects, including e -commerce, e -governance, electronics 
design, digital manufacturing and the development of human resources.  
3.19.  Regarding e -commerce, the Egyptian Government aimed to strengthen the e -commerce 
system and advance the strategy of financial inclusion and digital transformation by providing 
appropriate infrastructure and legislation to encourage e -commerce and attract more investments 
in this important sector, including, follow -up on the implementation of the national str ategy for e -
commerce, which had been launched in December 2017 in cooperation with UNCTAD. The strategy 
included a set of recommendations that support decision -making policies in the main aspects of e -
commerce and contribute to overcoming the challenges fa ced by e -commerce in Egypt.  
3.20.  There was ongoing work to develop national legislations supporting electronic commerce and 
establish a number of electronic platforms to enhance trade exchange with countries that had trade 
agreements with Egypt.  
3.21.  The Egyptian market included the largest number of internet users in the Middle East and 
North Africa. Therefore, Egypt hoped to achieve ever greater progress in the field of digital 
transformation and emphasized the importance of international partnershi ps to face the challenges 
related to e -commerce implementation, which included setting effective tax systems for electronic 
transactions, regulating the informal market for e -commerce, raising awareness of the importance 
of e-commerce and its mechanisms, e nhancing the information and communication technology 
infrastructure, building skills and providing the necessary financial and technical support.  
6  COUNCIL MEETING OF 14 OCTOBER 202210 
4.31.  The representative of China  […] wished to share the latest inform ation on its rural e -commerce 
development.  
4.32.  Rural e -commerce was an important way to boost the digital economy, advance rural 
revitalization and transform agricultural development modes. It was also a good example of e -
commerce for development. In r ecent years, China had been active in developing rural e -commerce, 
making full use of modern information technologies in agricultural product transactions and 
 
10 Document S/C/M/150.  S/C/W/ 425 
 
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  promoting the use of new e -commerce patterns in rural areas. Live -streaming e -commerce had 
become  an emerging trend in rural areas. More high -quality agricultural products had been promoted 
and sold through short videos and live -streaming shows. Mobile phones had become the new farming 
tools. Live -streaming e -commerce had become the new agricultural t rading pattern.  
4.33.  The latest data showed that in 2021, rural online retail sales in China had reached around 
Yuan 2.05 trillion, or around USD 300 billion, an increase of 11.3% year on year. The online retail 
sales of agricultural products had amounted to Yuan 422.1 billion , an increase of 2.8% year on year. 
The abovementioned rural e -commerce development in China showed that digital technologies could 
help generate benefits for underdeveloped areas. China would continue to promote digitization in 
rural areas and bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.  
4.34.  China was committed to promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and 
benefitting the farmers by further promoting rural e -commerce, improving e -commerce 
infrastructure, cultivating the brands of agricultural products, fostering e -commerce talents and 
facilitating logistics in rural areas.  
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