The special committee on e-commerce is set to submit its recommendations, including issuing a unique business identification number (UBIN), and introducing a central complaints management system (CCMS) and a central logistic tracking platform (CLTP), today (Wednesday) with a view to bringing discipline in the crisis-ridden sector.
Additional secretary of the commerce ministry AHM Shafiquzzaman told this to reporters on Tuesday after the third and final meeting of the 15-member high-powered committee held at the ministry.
"At the meeting, we have decided to submit a report tomorrow (Wednesday)," said Shafiquzzaman, also chief of the Digital Commerce Cell (DCC) of the commerce ministry.
"We will submit the report in line with the Terms and References (ToR) of the special committee. We have finalised the report today (Tuesday)," he added.
Three issues -- UBIN, CCMS and CLTP -- will be included in the recommendations, the DCC chief said.
Currently, government agencies are working towards issuing UBIN in favour of e-commerce firms in a bid to bring discipline in this sector. Aspire to Innovate (a2i) has already developed a software in this regard, which will be launched soon, he mentioned.
The government high-ups has already sat in a special meeting on payback of over Tk 2.14 billion stuck in different payment gateways, as e-commerce customers made advance payment against their ordered goods, said Shafiquzzaman.
Some cases involving a portion of the stuck money are now under trial. So, opinion has been sought from the law ministry to settle the issue properly and quickly, he added. The government agencies concerned will take necessary steps to pay back the money soon, he said.
Replying to a question, he said a total of 15 money laundering cases have been filed against e-commerce firms till date. On Sunday, the commerce ministry sought an opinion from the Law and Justice Division under the law ministry regarding the legal aspects of the stuck fund.
On November 02, 2021, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has requested the commerce ministry to take steps to pay back e-commerce customers' money stuck up in different payment gateways.
In response, the commerce ministry has sought a legal opinion to settle the issue soon. On June 30, the central bank introduced an escrow service on payments to e-commerce platforms.
The government authority has already taken multiple steps in the wake of various scandals by dubious e-commerce platforms such as Evaly, E-orange, Dhamaka Shopp-ing, Sirajganj Shop etc.
