Discipline in e-commerce sector in 3 months: Commerce Minister

October 25, 2021

PBC News: Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said discipline will be restored to the country’s e-commerce sector within the next three months. All e-commerce related companies will have to take unique business identification (UBIN) within this time. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division will develop a software relating to it soon.

Besides, he said some Tk 214 crore paid by customers to e-commerce platforms are now stuck in the Bangladesh Bank’s payment system (escrow service system) since July this year. Steps will be taken to refund the money to the customers within the next three months.

“Refund to the customers who made payments to Jubok, Destiny and Evaly before July 1 now depends on court order,” he said while addressing a press briefing after a meeting on Monday.

Three ministers and an adviser held the meeting on the recent crises in the digital e-commerce business in the country.

Earlier, a lengthy meeting was held which was chaired by Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.

Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Prime Minister adviser Salman F Rahman, FBCCI president Md Jasim Uddin, Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and head of the Digital e-Commerce related Committee AHM Shafikuzzaman attended the meeting.

Besides, the representatives of the Cabinet Division, Pubic Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, National Board of Revenue (NBR), E-CAB, BASIS, FBCCI, Competition Commission, among others, attended the meeting at the commerce ministry.

The meeting was chaired by Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.

A senior official of the Bangladesh Bank’s Payment Systems Department, said payment gateways in the country have not received licences yet. But they should not be termed illegal as the licensing process is underway.

A large number of customers have been deceived by various e-commerce companies, including Evaly, e-Orange, Dhamaka even after paying prices in advance.

To curb such fraud and protect the interests of consumers, the government issued guidelines for the management of digital commerce.

The central bank issued a circular on June 30 this year by launching escrow service.

It said the payment gateways would keep the advance payments that the buyers would pay. After delivering the products to their buyers, e-commerce companies will submit their documents to the payment gateways. After checking those documents, the gateways will transfer money to the accounts of the e-commerce companies.