Last September 6-7, 2023, USAID SPEED, through the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), delivered an Executive Education program entitled “Developing an Effective Policy Framework for an Inclusive Digital Economy” at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.
The two-day workshop brought together digital economy thought leaders, regulators, policymakers, and other public and private sector stakeholders for collaborative discussion on creating an inclusive and enabling policy framework to promote the growth of e-commerce. With local and international e-commerce authorities in attendance, it was also an opportunity to benchmark policy best practices from the Philippines’ ASEAN neighbors and other jurisdictions. Furthermore, the program sought to draw inputs on the passing of the Internet Transactions Act (ITA) in the Philippines and the formulation of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
BIG’s Executive Director, Prof. Carlo Sagun, was among the speakers during the Day 1 panel discussion on the challenges of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their enablement in the digital economy. He was joined by Amri Bukhairi Bakhtiar, Head of the ASEAN Secretariat’s Enterprise & Stakeholders Engagement Division; Rosemarie Rafael, President of the Women’s Business Council Philippines; and Alex Capri, Senior Lecturer from LKYSPP, who moderated the session.
Prof. Sagun cited BIG’s research on e-commerce, sharing the experiences of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their journey into becoming digital enterprises. He then contextualized the MSME digital enablement ecosystem by highlighting the three growth stages experienced by MSMEs in their life cycle - from micro, to meso, to macro.
The discussion brought to light the challenges faced by MSMEs in transitioning to the digital marketplace. It also established the critical role of inclusive and enabling policy and the potential implications of e-commerce regulations on SMEs’ operations.
Prof. Sagun noted that, “To enable our budding digital enterprises, we should empathize with the different actors of the ecosystem. A one-sided regulation policy might limit rather than enable the sector’s growth.”
While the evolution of e-commerce has opened up multiple new market avenues for entrepreneurs, there is huge work to be done in enabling MSMEs to seize opportunities in the digital space.
The Bayan Family of Foundations is committed to enabling and empowering MSMEs through research and innovations, capacity-building, and lifelong learning initiatives for MSMEs. To learn more about BIG’s research and policy work on Philippine e-commerce and the digital economy, connect with us through collaborate@bayaninnovationgroup.org.
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