ISLAMABAD, Jan. 18 (INP-WealthPK): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on E-Commerce, Senator Aon Abbas said Pakistan’s first-ever e-commerce policy will ensure sustainable growth as it will help increase exports, strengthen digital economy and generate massive employment in the country. “This e-commerce policy has been approved by the federal cabinet and Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate an e-commerce web portal in February,” Abbas said, while addressing an awareness seminar on e-commerce organised by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), according to a statement. “The e-commerce policy is part of the prime minister’s vision of promoting the digital economy,” he said, also informing the participants that the first-ever e-commerce virtual university would be set up in the country and would become functional in July 2022. SCCI Senior Vice President Imran Khan Mohmand chaired the session. SCCI Vice President Javed Akhtar, Former President Sherbaz Bilour, Ministry of Commerce Joint Secretary Ayesha Humaira, Secretary of Industries Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hashmat Ali, SCCI executive members Ghulam Hussain, Ghulam Bilal Javed, Zahoor Khan, S Minhajuddin, Ejaz Khan Afridi, Shams Rahim, Naeem Qasmi, Saddar Gul, Rashid Iqbal Siddique, Faiz Rasool, M Ishtiaq, traders, exporters, importers, presidents of different trade unions and officials from relevant departments were also in attendance. Abbas said that according to rough estimates, domestic e-commerce reached $4 billion, and cross-border digital trade worth Rs60 billion was done last year. “Roughly, e-commerce worth $340 billion is being carried out across the country,” he added. He informed the participants that Pakistan had currently 1.1 to 1.2 million freelancers working in the country, whose share in foreign remittances was about $1.5 billion. “Under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government is taking practical measures to promote e-commerce, as efforts are afoot to improve the postal system, value-chain, trace and tracking as well as banking system,” he said, also stressing the need for a simple, speedy and accredited system for e-commerce development. Abbas said the government is taking concrete steps to remove the hurdles to promoting e-commerce and e-business. “Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to introduce such a system that ensures transportation of shipments or products by sitting at home.” The senator said that Pakistan stood third in e-business in South Asia after India at first and Bangladesh second. He said promoting e-commerce and digital economy was the prime objective of the prime minister. “For this purpose, special training programmes will be conducted for youths to contribute their share in the economy through using digital methods.” On this occasion, SCCI Senior Vice President Imran Khan stressed that e-commerce and e-businesses need to be promoted. “Our youths are blessed with abundant skills, but it is unfortunate that these capabilities are not utilised properly.” He urged the ministry of commerce to organise special capacity building training to help young people increase knowledge about using technology for the promotion of business and the development of national economy. The SCCI hopes the awareness seminar will help enlighten the business community, especially start-ups, about using the latest methods to promote their businesses.