WT/COMTD/W/198  
 
27 June 2013  
(13-3346)  Page: 1/11  
Committee on Trade and Development    
 
 
REPORT FROM THE WORKSHOP ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE, DEVELOPMENT  
AND SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES  
8 AND 9 APRIL 2013 
 
1  BACKGROUND 
1.1.  In their Decision of 17 December 2011 (WT/ L/843), Ministers instructed the General Council 
to emphasize and reinvigorate the development di mension in the Work Programme on electronic 
commerce (E-commerce). They agreed that the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) should "examine and monitor development-related issues such as technical assistance, capacity 
building, and the facilitation of access to electronic commerce by micro, and small and medium 
sized enterprises, including small producers and suppliers, of developing countries and particularly of least-developed country Members".   
1.2.  The CTD began its follow-up work on this Decision in 2012 and agreed at its 86
th Session on 
19 November 2012 to hold a Workshop on E-commerce, Development and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) on 8 and 9 April 2013.   
1.3.  Organized under the auspices of the CTD, the Workshop featured four inter-active sessions 
involving: inter-governmental organizations working on E-commerce and development issues; non-governmental organizations and academia active in E-commerce; representatives from private sector companies active in the area of E-commerce in developing countries; and government 
officials from developing and least-developed countries working on E-commerce and 
telecommunications regulatory issues. Invited spea kers came from Argentina, Bangladesh, Cuba, 
Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The final 
programme of the Workshop is attached in Annex I. A Secretariat background paper was prepared 
for the Workshop and circulated as WT/COMTD/W/193.  
2  MAIN OUTCOMES 
2.1.   A main outcome of the Workshop was th e interplay of E-commerce with customs clearance 
issues, Trade Facilitation and Aid for Trade. Also highlighted was the need for an increased awareness by governments in developing and least-developed countries to learn more about the challenges and opportunities posed by E-commerce, and especially the important role E-commerce 
plays in assisting small and medium-sized enterprises gain access to domestic and international 
markets. It was clear that a main focus of current and future work had to be on assisting the "least-connected countries" or LCCs. Presenters and participants also helped increase awareness of 
the great variety of tools which exist on the intern et - many of them free of cost - and which can 
greatly assist entrepreneurs and SMEs with bringing their businesses online.  
2.2.   Several large challenges remain, however. Infrastructure problems are a major hurdle and 
much time was spent discussing the need to upgr ade power grids to counter the lack of regular 
electricity supply, difficulties with the physical di stribution on products bought online and a general 
lack of electronic payment systems in developing countries. Another key handicap in many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America is the lack of a reliable access to broadband, high speed 
cables.  
2.3.   A further message from the Workshop was the need for an entrepreneurial spirit when it 
comes to overcoming the challenges posed by E-commerce. The refrain "Where there are WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  problems, there are opportunities" was heard several times by private sector presenters keen on 
convincing reluctant government officials of the be nefits of using E-commerce to help stimulate the 
sale of online food products, fish or handicrafts by poor, rural villagers. 
2.4.   The CTD Chairman also made an oral re port at the Workshop on Services and E-commerce 
held on 17 and 18 June 2013 on some of the main  outcomes of the April 2013 Workshop to ensure 
that all Members were informed about work under way on the development-related issues in the E-commerce Work Programme.  
3  REPORT 
Opening Session 
 3.1.  The Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development, Ambassador Marion Williams 
(Barbados), opened the Workshop by underscor ing the critical role E-commerce plays in 
empowering the citizens of all countries, and espe cially those in developing and least-developed 
countries. The new, more affordable technology is  helping to change the way fishermen fish and 
sell their catch and the way farmers grow and harvest their crops. E-commerce provides people 
with the right market information and data so they can improve their livelihoods and that of their families, villages, cities and countries.  
3.2.  WTO Deputy Director-General Harsha Singh said that the Workshop was organized under the 
auspices of the CTD and was the result of a proposal in the CTD in 2012 by Cuba and Ecuador. He explained how the Workshop reflected the Decision  on E-commerce taken by governments at the 
Eighth Ministerial Conference in December 2011 by focusing on how SMEs have used the internet 
and information communication technology to improve their business performance. The internet 
plays a large role in E-commerce and has continued growing worldwide in terms of users and penetration. Although developed economies are very  much ahead in terms of internet penetration, 
developing economies have been catching up quickly. He explained that the number of users in 
developing countries actually surpassed that of developed countries sometime in 2010. Technological progress has, therefore, indeed been thriving in both developing and developed 
countries and this trend was expected to continue as the sector attracts more research funds and 
investment. This was especially true when it came to mobile phones. In the past ten years, mobile-cellular subscriptions in developing countries had increased nearly tenfold. Not only have they helped to improve how businesses are run, they  also helped to close the poverty gap. Mobile 
phones in some countries make it possible for rural farmers to engage in mobile money services, 
allowing them to open saving accounts, earn interest on their deposits and access a variety of credit and insurance products all through their phon e. Emerging markets like India, China, Turkey 
and Brazil have seen an exponential growth in mobile web use with figures far surpassing the 
more mature markets of developed countries. Mobile  3G subscriptions in the US grew by 26% in 
2011. In contrast Brazil, Turkey, China and Indi a saw spectacular growth rates of 79%, 104%, 
172% and 1,050%, respectively! 
3.3.  The Executive Director of the International Tr ade Centre (ITC), Ms Patricia Francis, said that 
the Workshop will help identify what still hinders rapid development of E-commerce in international trade and what actions should be taken to develop further the contribution of 
E-commerce to export-led economic growth. She emphasized that this was not just a technical 
topic but was about providing new, alternative ways for businesses, including SMEs, to reach new markets and to join international supply chains. Used well, E-commerce could serve as a real 
development tool, an enabler. If, however, the right business environment is not provided by 
governments, and E-commerce cannot flourish, it constitutes a missed opportunity for exports and economic development. She explained how in 2012, business to consumer (B2C) E-commerce 
sales grew over 20% to reach US$1 trillion for the first time. But B2C is just the “tip of the 
iceberg” in E-commerce. The bulk of E-commerce takes place between companies, "Business to Business" (B2B) transactions. 
3.4.  Many companies in developing countries are integrated into global supply chains and are 
engaged in B2B E-commerce. Examples include Moroccan suppliers to European car-parts 
manufacturers and South-African suppliers to North American retailers. E-commerce can boost sales of small and rural businesses and reduce transaction costs and can also cut out the 
middleman and increase the competitiveness of ex porting SMEs. Ms Francis said that internet 
connectivity remains insufficient in many developing countries, especially when the connection WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  needs to be available on a 24-hour basis. Online-payment systems also remain unavailable in 
many countries, mainly because of under developed regulatory frameworks or currency controls or 
regulations which do not allow mobile transfers. Furthermore, many SMEs in developing countries lack the skills and knowledge needed to engage  in E-commerce, despite the B2B supply chain 
opportunities it offers. More work needs to be done to facilitate the participation of developing 
country SMEs in the internet economy. There is  a clear case to support the development of 
E-commerce in least-developed countries (LDCs), in developing countries and in emerging 
economies alike. Facilitating access to E-commerce opportunities in developing countries means 
that governments need to focus on improvin g the infrastructure and business environment 
specifically for the digital economy and adjust their education systems to prepare young people for this new reality. However, there has been consider able progress on this front and Ms Francis cited 
the following developments: telecommunications regulations have improved in most countries; the 
resulting increased competition and investment have led to lower prices and dramatically improved availability and quality of up-to-date telecommunications services; infrastructure has also been 
built in some LDCs, where a growing percentage of the population can now access the web; and 
online payment systems, e-banking, mobile money and e-procurement portals. 
3.5.  As for ITC's activities on E-commerce in developing and least-developed countries, Ms Francis 
explained that in Morocco, the ITC had upgraded th e web portals of the textile industry association 
(AMITH) and the leather industry association (FEDIC) and that the upgrades allowed the 
associations to link potential buyers with local suppliers online. In Bangladesh, the ITC provided advisory services on web strategy to export-orien ted SMEs for the local IT industry, with a focus 
on web advertisement, social media and search-engin e optimization, as well as selling services to 
new markets. As a result, beneficiaries reported improved online visibility for their companies and were able to find new clients. In Fiji, ITC links rural producers with traders and exporters thanks to 
an innovative business matching platform which combined mobile and web applications. In 
conclusion, Ms Francis said that it was essential that there be a focus on how governments, the private sector and other stakeholders can cooperate to support the global development of a 
vibrant internet economy - extending its transformative effects more evenly throughout the 
developing world.  
A) International Organizations Session : 
 
Chaired by H.E. Mr Shanker Das Bairagi, Am bassador of Nepal and LDC Group Coordinator 
 
Speakers : - Dr Susan Teltscher –  ITU: "Enabling E-commerc e: recent trends in 
broadband deployment and uptake";   
- Mr Torbjörn Fredriksson – UNCTAD: "E-commerce and development – key 
trends and issues";  
- Mr Martin Labbé - International Trade Centre: "E-Commerce business 
models and deployment strategies in developing countries";  
- Mr Sacha Wunsch-Vincent – WIPO: "Evolution and economics of digital 
content markets, IP issues, SMEs and online transactions". 
   
Topics discussed : Facilitation of access to E-commerce by SMEs in developing 
countries: e.g., development of institutional, regulatory and national/regional capacities; 
access to information; raising awareness; recent research. 
3.6.  This session featured presentations by experts from the International Telecommunications 
Union (ITU), the United Nations Conference  on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the 
International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 
Discussion focused on the issue of infrastructure as this was identified as a key enabler in assisting SMEs with E-commerce. It was noted that E-commerce requires fast, reliable and affordable telecommunication/ICT infrastructure and services. In this regard, broadband networks were seen 
as critical. In developing countries, however, fixed broadband infrastructure is often limited mainly 
because of high expense and a lack of private sect or or government-led investment. Instead, it is 
wireless infrastructure, especially in Africa, that is more prevalent and that has realized substantial 
gains in the last decade. Mobile broadband is currently the fastest growing market segment in 
developing countries. However, it remains unaffordab le to many users in developing countries and 
especially for the so-called LCCs.  WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  3.7.  In the discussion on B2C E-commerce, speakers emphasized that interaction is best if a 
critical mass of people is online and purchasing products. Hence, the number of consumers actually using the internet to make online purc hases is important. Furt hermore, while the number 
of consumers making purchases from home is increasing in Asia, Africa and Latin America, millions 
of households - 90% of them located in developing countries – are still without access.  
3.8.  Discussants highlighted backbone infrastruc ture as being key to increasing international 
internet bandwidth and a main requirement for catering to increased data traffic. It was noted that 
national ICT/broadband policies at the country and regional levels could also stimulate the market, 
increase services and help lower prices. The laying of broadband cables in Africa over the last five years had resulted in an exceptional number of SMEs hooking up to the internet. A key challenge, however, remains broadband services and increasing investment in infrastructure, especially in the 
telecoms backbone and grid so as to allow greater use of both mobile and fixed lines and data 
traffic. Governments were encouraged to allocate  and regulate frequency spectrum to cope with 
demand and operators to upgrade networks. It was also deemed necessary to adopt policies that 
further stimulated competition and private investment, especially in and for rural and remote 
areas. The use of private-public partnerships was underlined as a way to achieve the goal of universal access to telecommunications infrastructure. Another challenge lay in the area of 
measuring E-commerce flows and its contribution to GDP. In this regard, governments were urged 
to do more to collect accurate data.  
3.9.  It was highlighted that few micro and small enterprises in low-income countries actually used 
E-commerce. This was attributed mainly to the fact that few micro-enterprises use computers or 
the Internet on a regular basis. This was also due to the limited trust of consumers in online 
transactions and the lack of awareness of the possibilities of E-commerce amongst SME 
entrepreneurs. The awareness deficit could, howe ver, be corrected through skills building and 
ensuring greater digital literacy. E-commerce presents great opportunities for SMEs in developing 
countries, but a key hurdle remains the estab lishment of electronic payment systems and 
distribution networks to actually monitor and track and finally deliver the products purchased 
online. The mobile payment system M-Pesa in Ke nya was highlighted as a prime example of how 
even the poorest segments of the population  could receive and spend mobile money.  
3.10.  The panel also discussed other legal issues related to E-commerce which governments 
should address, including electronic signatures  and authentication, electronic contracting, 
consumer protection, privacy and data protection, computer crime, taxation and custom duties and 
intellectual property rights, especially in the area  of trade in digital content. It was emphasized 
several times that the bulk of E-commerce is through business-to-business transactions, 
accounting for some 90% of E-commerce volume in total. The rise of social media and group 
buying as a new channel for business was also highlighted. SMEs could piggyback on these networks for their business and could easily make use of them through new smart phones and 
tablets. New platforms were discussed as was using new tools to create websites to engage in 
E-commerce. Several of the discussants identified free internet tools or others which were available at a low cost. The role of governments was underscored several times, especially in assisting SMEs to get online and helping them through their first hurdles. It was emphasized that 
international organizations especially UNCTAD and the ITC were ready to assist. 
B) Academic, Civil Society Session: 
 
Chaired by Mr Detlev Brauns, Minister, Deputy  Permanent Representative, European Union  
 
Speakers : - Mr Dawit Bekele, Internet Society, Regional Bureau Director for Africa, 
Addis Adaba, Ethiopia: "Opportunities and Challenges of E-commerce for 
African SMEs"; 
- Mr Daniel Salcedo, founder of Peop link.org, Kensington, Maryland, USA: 
"Recent Technical Advances Facilitating E-commerce for SMEs";  
- Mr Marcos Pueryrredon, President, eInstituto, Buenos Aires, Argentina: 
"The new ecosystem of online businesses: eCommerce+ and the opportunities for SMEs"; 
- Dr Richard Duncombe, Institute for Development Policy and 
Management (IDPM) in the School for Environment and Development, University of Manchester: "Mobile phones Innovation and Micro-enterprise 
in Low-income Countries". WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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Topics discussed : Use/exploitation of E-commerce and ICTs in general by SMEs in 
developing countries to improve their productive and commercial performance: e.g., 
generation and/or improvement of capacities and access to technologies; recent research 
and trends. 
 3.11.  As was the case in the first session, the growing significance of the internet economy was 
highlighted, as was the critical importance of the internet for SMEs in developing countries. The 
growth in internet penetration in specific regions of the world, particularly in Africa and Latin America, was outlined. A number of opport unities were identified as to how SMEs in 
developing countries could benefit more from E- commerce. It was shown, for example, how sites 
such as "OpenEntry" provide quick and easy access for SMEs to establish an online presence. 
Mobile phone technology was also highlighted as a great source of benefit for SMEs in developing countries, with continued potential for the future.  
3.12.  The discussants provided several examples of SMEs in developing countries using 
E-commerce and mobile phone technology to their benefit. While many developing country governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of E-commerce for development and are 
taking concrete steps to improve the environment for E-commerce, several challenges remain, 
including the fact that the establishment of a website alone, as comprehensive as it may be, may not be enough for an SME to be successful in E-commerce. SMEs have to generate awareness for 
their products and services with potential clients. They must also generate and target supply to 
meet demand. They have to create a user-frien dly environment and they need to build trust. 
Furthermore, the operations and logistics side of the selling and delivery process are complex and have to be addressed. 
3.13.  The discussion also highlighted that many  developing countries continue to suffer from 
inadequate policy and legal frameworks, excessive bureaucracy and insufficient government support for SMEs. Furthermore, electronic payment systems are not developed everywhere. In 
addition, the necessary supportive industries – for example the logistics and transportation 
industries – as well as the physical infrastructure was often lacking. The threat of cyber criminality was also considered to be an issue, as was copyright and trademark management. Furthermore, cross-border E-commerce continues to pose challenges that don't exist at the domestic level and 
can involve excessive charges and complex delivery issues.  
3.14.  The Panel also discussed the role that trade promotion organizations can play in facilitating 
access and use of E-commerce. For example, trade promotion organizations can guide their 
member exporters to build individual B2B stores and help them to promote their exports. These 
same promotion organizations could also work with governments to overcome challenges on how to encourage innovation and the successful diffus ion of technologies in E-commerce and in the use 
of mobile technology. In some cases, tax and cu stoms regimes need to be simplified. Governments 
also need to place emphasis on promoting new business models and innovative business strategies. The appropriate policy mix and strategy needs to be found in order to develop the necessary supportive industries and infrastructure . Finally, the discussion touched on the role of 
international organizations. It was highlighted that IGOs can promote and address some 
E-commerce issues, for example issues relating to technical assistance and capacity building, taking into account country-specific needs. It was also suggested that IGOs, including the WTO 
and the ITC, could help disseminate knowledge and understanding and explain the issues and 
challenges, and which models and approaches have worked best.  
C) Private Sector Session : 
 
Chaired by Mr David Shark, Deputy Chief of Mi ssion, Deputy Permanent Representative to the 
WTO, United States  
 
Speakers : - Ms Sadequa Hassan Sejuti, Managing Director and Mr Ataur Rahman, 
Future Solution for Business, Dhaka, Bangladesh: "Minimizing the digital 
gap of rural and city life through E-commerce";  
- Ms Nancy Tingze Wang, Co-Founder and CEO M-Kazi, Nairobi, Kenya: 
"Semi-skilled Labour Force Mobilization Using Accessible Technology"; 
- Mr Daniel Annerose, CEO Manobi, Dakar, Senegal. 
 WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  Topics discussed : Use/exploitation of E-commerce and ICTs in general by SMEs in 
developing countries to improve their productive, commercial and business performance: 
e.g., generation and/or improvement of capacities; access to technologies; access to the 
www. 
 
3.15.  Speakers from the private sector presented several successful E-commerce ventures. One such project was "My Country, My Village" from Bangladesh. This venture aims to propagate the 
use of E-commerce in rural communities by creating e-centres managed by local youth. Rural 
communities in Bangladesh have long suffered from high youth unemployment and the e-centres help to counter the trend by training young managers to help local farmers and tradesmen catalogue their products and sell them on the internet. Fresh produce, handicrafts and textiles 
from the villages are then sold in nearby cities. Some products, mainly in the textile and garment 
sector, are then also exported. It was noted that this model helps reduce rural to urban migration and similar projects could also help other LDCs make  more use of the vast potential of the internet 
while also creating jobs. 
3.16.  The "My County, My Village" model was launched privately and is now deemed to be 
financially self-supporting and sustainable. The initiators for the project, Ms Sejuti and Mr Rahman, 
explained how the project could easily be replicated anywhere in the world. Urban consumers 
could buy their products directly from the farmers. The platform was also more advantageous to the farmers as it provides them with more than just information about market prices. It allows 
them to connect directly with the consumers and learn more about consumer preferences and 
tastes and also to tackle some key logistic problems involving supply and delivery. 
3.17.  Another project was M-kazi, a mobile recruiting platform for blue-collar workers in Kenya. 
Projects such as M-kazi were possible in Kenya mainly because of M-pesa, a mobile-phone based 
money transfer and micro-financing service for telecommunications operators Safaricom and 
Vodacom, the largest mobile network operators in Kenya and Tanzania. M-pesa is currently the most developed mobile payment system in the world, allowing its customers to use national 
identity cards or passports to deposit, withdraw, and transfer money easily with a mobile device. 
The service has encouraged online goods and services to be purchased with mobile money and provides a solid base from which to offer other types of mobile E-commerce solutions such as M-kazi.  
3.18.  Co-founder of M-kazi, Nancy Wang, explained how M-kazi allows jobseekers to register their 
professional qualifications, post a mini-curriculum vitae (CV) online, receive SMS job alerts for positions for which they are qualified and even a pply for positions directly using a basic mobile 
phone connection, thereby bypassing more expensive links to the internet. A big part of M-pesa’s 
success is attributed to the 25,000 agents across Kenya who disperse cash and register deposits. Ms Wang said these agents comprised a human factor which was both powerful and critical in 
regard to the mass market reception of a new technology. M-kazi launched its services by also 
planting agents across the country, often the same agents providing M-pesa services. M-kazi, meanwhile, provides employers' access to a robu st data base of thousands of qualified and 
available job seekers. The service has greatly facilitated the management of job vacancies and 
shortened the hiring process from days to hours. 
3.19.  Some of the main challenges which M-kazi encountered when embarking on this new 
employment service concerned the preservation of  data integrity and avoiding fraud. There was 
also limited competition among mobile operators which meant that M-kazi had no alternative but 
to work with Safaricom which charges comparatively high rates. There were also issues with deficient physical infrastructure, particularly in regard to electricity failures and a lack of street 
addresses in Kenya's major cities. Another problem concerned access to funding which remains 
extremely limited for SMEs operating in Kenya. 
3.20.  Another presentation focused on Senegal and Western Africa. Mr Daniel Annerose, CEO of 
Manobi, noted that there were many gaps to be addressed between E-commerce and SME 
development in Africa. Some of these gaps, howeve r, were being filled with mobile solutions for 
SMEs active in such sectors as agriculture and fisheries. Water supply, sanitation and conservation and food distribution were other areas where mobile solutions could readily be applied. 
3.21.  Mr Annerose explained that in the agricultur e and fisheries sectors, M-Agri services help to 
increase revenues for both farmers and fishermen. The services are not limited to market WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  information and prices but try to intervene in an entire value chain by offering holistic solutions 
that actually improve business relations between farmers and buyers. In the area of water sanitation, for example, mobile solutions are offered through M-WatSan and allow providers to manage their water sanitation systems from their mobile phones, including payments. The mobile 
service has helped to facilitate the development of water sanitation systems and has increased 
access to financing as banks can see that the water distribution system is well managed and economically sustainable.  
3.22.  In the food distribution sector, Mr Anne rose presented a food distribution service called 
M-Shop. The mobile service was launched to address the problem of price increases of basic foodstuffs. By connecting local shops directly with producers, this service allows low-income urban families to get the lowest prices for basic foodstuffs. It also helps shop owners increase their 
revenue. Mr Annerose explained that the two plat forms were convergent and worked on mobile 
and internet channels. They were also helping to create an integrative business to social model.  
3.23.  Discussion then turned to what the private sector representatives thought governments 
could do to help with the development of E-commerce. One presenter thought that governments 
needed to promote and create more awareness ab out the digital society in general. Improving 
overall infrastructure was another area where governments could help the private sector. This 
included improving electricity generation and dist ribution, solving the problem of addresses which 
would greatly help the delivery of goods and services, improving internet and access by liberalizing the telecoms markets, providing effective Intellectu al Property protection, assisting with access to 
financing and providing incentives to invest in innovation. The presenters noted that one of the 
main problems was the lack of information amongst government officials about how E-commerce 
works and what is needed locally and nationally to take full advantage of the internet. This lack of awareness or specific knowledge about some of the issues has led to random regulations and 
policies. These were being applied but were not based on any actual data or policy. Some of the 
E-commerce solutions being proposed could also help governments gain better access to data which in turn could help governments implement better policies. This could make trade more 
balanced between developed and developing countries and also help narrow the technology gap. 
Furthermore, business could improve the E-commer ce environment by working with government 
officials to explain their needs and to see how certain issues could be addressed in national development plans. International organizations such as WTO and the ITC could also play an 
important role in spreading knowledge about the different platforms that are available in different 
countries. Overall, the session highlighted the importance of how the private sector was using E-commerce to help foster development in low-income economies and also on what was needed 
from the public sector to provide a good business environment for SMEs and entrepreneurs to 
make better use of E-commerce. 
D) Public Sector Session : 
 
Chaired by Mr Francisco Rivadeneira, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade of Ecuador  
Speakers :  - Mr Egidius Mbarara, Auditor for Corporate, Transport, Energy and ICT 
Sectors (RURA), Kigali, Rwanda: "The Role of ICT Regulation in Promoting 
Small and Medium - Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Developing Countries"; 
- Ms Maria Lourdes Yaptinchay, Director of Policy Research, E-Commerce 
Office. Department of Trade and Industry, Makati City, Philippines: 
"Government support to helping SMEs gain access to e-commerce"; 
- Mr Paul Donohoe, Programme Manager, Electronic Postal Services and 
E-Commerce, Universal Postal Union. "The Postal network – facilitating 
universal access to e-commerce". 
 
Topics discussed : Ways and means to support SMEs in developing countries and to 
assist them with gaining access to E-commerce; use/exploitation of E-commerce to help 
SMEs improve their business performance: e.g., sharing of experiences and best 
practices; analysis of successful public support practices; creation of public goods; 
provision of technical assistance and the promotion of investment and skills training. 
 3.24.  Discussion focused on the opportunities that E-commerce provides to SMEs in developing 
countries, as well as the contribution that E-commerce can make to enhance development and 
alleviate poverty. Even though there was agreement that SMEs can make sound contributions to WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  the economies of developing countries, it was pointed out that the full potential of E-commerce 
has yet to be realized in a majority of developing and least-developed countries. Some of the key challenges facing developing country SMEs in using E-commerce included the following: lack of awareness and understanding of the value of E- commerce; lack of ICT knowledge and skills; 
security issues, including the security of payments  and the privacy of online transactions; and the 
fact that the initial investment for the adoption of a new technology for E-commerce is proportionately heavier for SMEs than it is for larger firms. 
3.25.  Discussants pointed to the insufficient network infrastructure for E-commerce in many 
countries and regions and agreed that many SMEs are therefore not able to fully benefit from E-commerce. Moreover, SMEs in Cuba for example, also face discriminatory and unilateral measures of an extra-territorial nature. There was general agreement about the importance of 
government intervention in creating economic growth and in fostering the diffusion of 
technological innovations – especially across SMEs in developing and least developed countries. 
3.26.  On the issue of regulation, it was suggest ed that one of the ways to support SMEs in 
developing countries was to encourage transparent regulation. This would help attract investment, 
increase market confidence and enhance government credibility. The various roles of government ICT regulators were discussed, as were the objectives of regulation, including ensuring universal 
access to basic services, the creation of an open, competitive market, developing transparent 
regulatory and licensing processes and protecting consumer rights. 
3.27.  On the role of government more generally, several ideas and initiatives were discussed, with 
the broad objective of achieving a robust use of E-commerce. Discussants agreed that it was 
important to create an enabling environment for SMEs in order to help them maximize the use of 
the internet. Some perspectives on the postal network were also shared. The sheer size of the postal network was highlighted and, in this regard, the vast potential of the postal network in 
supporting the inclusion of SMEs in E-commerce was discussed. Many also saw the postal network 
as being very efficient in the delivery of goods ordered through the internet.  
3.28.  The government representatives agreed on the need to recognize and take into account the 
particular characteristics of each country when taking initiatives to improve the access to and the 
benefits of E-commerce. At the same time, th e need for countries to exchange ideas, and 
generally to cooperate on various ICT-related issues, was highlighted. The need for collaboration between relevant international organizations was again emphasized. 
 
 
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  ANNEX I 
 
WORKSHOP ON E-COMMERCE, DEVELOPMENT AND SMES1 
CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD (WTO) 
8 AND 9 APRIL 2013  
PROGRAMME 
Monday, 8 April 2013 
 
 
10:00 - 10:30  Opening Session : Chaired by H.E. Dr Marion Williams, Ambassador of 
Barbados, and Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development  
 
Welcome address by Mr Harsha V. Singh, Deputy Director-General, WTO, 
and thematic statement by Ms Patricia Francis, Executive Director, 
International Trade Centre 
 
 
10:30 - 13:00  A) International Organizations Session : Chaired by 
H.E. Mr Shanker Das Bairagi, Ambassador of Nepal and LDC Group 
Coordinator 
 
Speakers : - Dr Susan Teltscher –  ITU: "Enabling E-commerce: recent trends 
in broadband deployment and uptake";   
- Mr Torbjörn Fredriksson – UNCTAD: "E-commerce and 
development – key trends and issues";  
- Mr Martin Labbé - International Trade Centre: "E-commerce 
business models and deployment strategies in developing 
countries";  
- Mr Sacha Wunsch-Vincent – WIPO: "Evolution and economics of 
digital content markets, IP issues, SMEs and online transactions". 
   
Topics to be discussed : Facilitation of access to E-commerce by Small and 
Medium-sized Enterprises in Developing Countries: e.g., development of institutional, regulatory and national/regional capacities; access to information; 
raising awareness; recent research. 
Questions and Answers/Discussion 
13:00 - 15:00   Lunch 
 
 
15:00 - 18:00  B) Academic, Civil Society Session: Chaired by Mr Detlev 
Brauns, Minister, Deputy Permanent Representative, European 
Union  
 
Speakers :  - Mr Dawit Bekele, Internet Society, Regional Bureau Director for 
Africa, Addis Adaba, Ethiopia: "Opportunities and Challenges of 
E-commerce for African SMEs"; 
- Mr Daniel Salcedo, founder of Peoplink.org, Kensington, Maryland, 
USA: "Recent Technical Advances Facilitating E-commerce for 
SMEs";  
                                               
1 Participation is open to representatives of WTO Members, international organizations, public and 
private entities and individual experts. WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  - Mr Marcos Pueryrredon, President, eInstituto, Buenos Aires, 
Argentina: "The new ecosystem of online businesses: eCommerce+ and the opportunities for SMEs"; - Dr Richard Duncombe, Institute for Development Policy and 
Management (IDPM) in the School for Environment and 
Development, University of Manchester: "Mobile phones Innovation and Micro-enterprise in Low-income Countries". 
 
Topics to be discussed : Use/exploitation of E-commerce and ICTs in general by 
SMEs in developing countries to improve their productive and commercial performance: e.g., generation and/or im provement of capacities and access to 
technologies; recent research and trends. 
Questions and Answers/Discussion  
Tuesday, 9 April 2013 
 
10:00 - 13:00  C) Private Sector Session : Chaired by Mr. David Shark, Deputy 
Chief of Mission, Deputy Permanen t Representative to the WTO, 
United States  
 
Speakers:  -Ms Sadequa Hassan Sejuti, Managing Director and 
Mr Ataur Rahman, Future Solution for Business, Dhaka, 
Bangladesh: "Minimizing the digital gap of rural and city life 
through E-commerce";  - Ms Nancy Tingze Wang, Co-Founder and CEO M-Kazi, Nairobi, 
Kenya: "Semi-skilled Labour Force Mobilization Using Accessible 
Technology"; - Mr Daniel Annerose, CEO Manobi, Dakar, Senegal. 
 
Topics to be discussed : Use/exploitation of E-commerce and ICTs in general by 
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in developing countries to improve their productive, commercial and business performance: e.g., generation and/or 
improvement of capacities; access to  technologies; access to the www. 
Questions and Answers/Discussion  
13:00 - 15:00   Lunch 
 
 
15:00 - 17:00 D) Public Sector Session : Chaired by Mr Francisco Rivadeneira, 
Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade of Ecuador  
 
Statement :  - Mr Wilfredo González Vidal, Vice Ministro del Ministerio de 
Informática y las Telecomunicaciones (MIC), Havana, Cuba. 
 
Speakers :  - Mr Egidius Mbarara, Auditor for Corporate, Transport, Energy and 
ICT Sectors (RURA), Kigali, Rwanda: "The Role of ICT Regulation in 
Promoting Small and Medium - Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in 
Developing Countries"; 
- Ms Maria Lourdes Yaptinchay, Director of Policy Research, E-
commerce Office. Department of Trade and Industry, Makati City, 
Philippines: "Government support to helping SMEs gain access to 
E-commerce"; 
- Mr Paul Donohoe, Programme Manager, Electronic Postal Services 
and E-commerce, Universal Postal Union. "The Postal network – 
facilitating universal access to E-commerce". 
 
  WT/COMTD/W/198 
 
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  Topics to be discussed : Ways and means to support Small and Medium-sized 
Enterprises in developing countries and to assist them with gaining access to E-commerce; use/exploitation of E-commerce to help SMEs improve their business performance: e.g., sharing of experiences and best practices; analysis of 
successful public support practices; creation of public goods; provision of technical 
assistance and the promotion of investment and skills training. 
Questions and Answers/Discussion 
 
17:00 - 18:00  Concluding Session :  Chaired by H.E. Dr Marion Williams, 
Ambassador of Barbados, and Chair of the Committee on Trade 
and Development 
 
Presentation of Session Reports by the Moderators. 
 
 
 
__________