The Philippines expressed its support for the extension of the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions until the next ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), recognizing the importance of e-commerce in facilitating cross-border trade in goods and services,
At the WTO ministerial conference in Geneva, the Philippines co-sponsored the draft ministerial decision seeking to reinvigorate the Electronic Commerce Work Programme citing e-commerce’s role in the global post-pandemic recovery.
At the conference, Trade assistant secretary Allan Gepty cited the need “to maintain a stable and predictable digital trading environment not only for big businesses but especially for MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and women entrepreneurs to boost economic growth.”
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo also noted the importance of a stable and predictable online environment in further strengthening the positioning of the country as an innovation hub, and an ideal location for hyperscale data center.
The Philippines has a robust E-Commerce industry.
The government has released the E-Commerce Roadmap 2022 to create an integrated ecosystem that would become the foundation of all industries’ developments, long-term employment, and inclusive growth throughout the country. – Irma Isip
