The Ministry of Commerce will officially launch an online marketplace on 30 March 2022, featuring around a thousand goods produced locally and available for online shopping lovers.
According to the ministry’s statement, the launching ceremony will be held in the presence of Minister Pan Sorasak and participation from relevant ministries, institutions, the private sector, associations, and development partners.
Named Cambodia Trade Market, the marketplace is an essential component of the e-commerce development project, which is financially supported by the Trade Integration Framework Program and the Cambodian government for three years until June 2023, the ministry said.
“The online marketplace project is a major e-commerce initiative that aims to increase economic opportunities for Cambodia’s small and medium enterprises to participate in the digital economy,” the ministry noted in the statement.
“The online marketplace, which operates through cambodiatrade.com, is an electronic marketplace connected to payment and delivery services,” it added.
Through the marketplace, Cambodian consumers and small and medium enterprises will have more options for buying and selling Cambodian products both locally and across borders, stated the ministry.
As of March, over a hundred SMEs have been registered, allowing the display of their products produced locally.
Half of registered SMEs are women-owned enterprises and from the provinces.
Most of the applicants are in the agro-industry, handicraft, food and beverage processing and textile industries.
According to the ministry, products eligible for the online marketplaces have to be made locally and hand-crafted. Both local and foreign companies with operations in Cambodia are eligible to apply to join the marketplace.
The CambodiaTrade e-marketplace was developed with financial support from the Switzerland-based Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Assistance for Least-Developed Countries.
The ministry has been working to partner with payment merchants – banks have been connected to the online marketplace and transport firms for delivery service.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
