KOTA KINABALU, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The government is assessing the impact of e-commerce platforms on the local business ecosystem, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the retail sector and the postal and courier industry.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry is aware of the issue after traders raised concerns about a potential market imbalance caused by e-commerce platforms.
He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been instructed to invite all e-commerce platforms to discuss the matter, as an initial step to address the issues raised.
“This is the first step. Next, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and I will hold a meeting with e-commerce platforms, as well as shop owners and SME operators affected by the issue,” he said.
He spoke to reporters after officiating the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in Inanam Sentral here today, which was also attended by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) and Sepanggar MP Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
Elaborating, Fahmi said the discussions would also focus on selling products at excessively low or below-market prices, which could negatively affect local businesses.
Fahmi said the government has no intention of preventing traders and entrepreneurs from using e-commerce platforms as a business channel, but it must ensure the sector’s growth does not negatively affect the local economic ecosystem.
“We are not preventing traders and entrepreneurs from benefiting from e-commerce platforms, but we are mindful of any negative impact, particularly on the local ecosystem, including the sales, retail, and postal and courier sectors,” he said.
He said the issue requires a comprehensive approach as its impact extends beyond the e-commerce industry to the wider trade, retail, courier services and SME business sectors.
Fahmi said the matter will be coordinated through collaboration among the MCMC, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, MITI, the Ministry of Finance, the Inland Revenue Board and relevant agencies
-- BERNAMA
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