The Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) declared that the continent lags the rest of the world in the uptake of digital trade due to lack of a conducive ecosystem, according to Xinhuanet.
Africa should develop laws to enhance on integrity of procurement on electronic platforms to make consumers trust ecommerce platforms, the Secretary-General stated. Moreover, some of the rules that need to be introduced should ensure that ecommerce companies are compelled to deliver goods paid for by consumers as they have promised.
According to UNCTAD senior official, states should also develop online dispute mechanism so that contracts can be honored by all parties involved including in the case of cross-border trade.
Commenting on the current state of ecommerce in Africa, the UNCTAD official pointed out the fact that Kenya has an advanced mobile money payments system, with about 85% of adults having mobile bank accounts. However, high financial inclusion is not a sufficient condition to catalyse ecommerce in the country.
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