PIF | Pacific Islands Forum

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Would you like to tell us how PIFs’ work and activities specifically touch upon e-commerce and the digital economy?

PIF is the Pacific regional agency duly mandated to lead on trade-related matters, including e-commerce. Activities on e-commerce are carried out under the umbrella of the Pacific E-commerce Initiative, initiated in 2017, and directed by the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap. 

1. Coordinates the Pacific E-commerce Initiative, including coordination of the implementation of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap. It does so by:

   • Serving as Secretariat to the Pacific E-commerce Committee and its two Sub-committees for the development partners and the private sector.

   • Managing the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap

   • Managing the Pacific E-commerce Portal, the regional information repository on E-commerce Development in the Pacific

2. Implements the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap through a suite of activities, including:

   • Developing national e-commerce assessments and strategies.

   • Providing the PIF E-commerce Rules course for Pacific Policymakers, which includes online training and resources to enhance e-commerce negotiation skills.

   • Offering the PIF E-Biz Plus Programme for the private sector, a five-step approach that includes developing simple guides for online business in specific countries and industries (the PIF E-commerce Business Toolkits), conducting e-commerce training workshops, tailored coaching, a grant scheme to start e-commerce projects, and access to the eCove Community, an online platform with training resources and peer learning opportunities.

   • Managing the Pacific E-commerce Statistics Development, which involves maintaining the Pacific E-commerce Database, a repository of e-commerce-related statistics to support informed decision-making by Pacific policymakers and stakeholders. 

   • Managing the PIF Private Sector Development Programme, which includes a grant scheme to support Pacific businesses interested in the South Korean market and tourism sector to engage in e-commerce. 

3. Supports resource mobilization towards the implementation of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap through the Pacific E-commerce Alliance.

What type of support do you offer to help countries and territories of the Pacific region to accompany the digital transformation of their economies?

PIF initiated work on E-commerce in 2017. The programme supports Forum Island Countries to engage in digital trade to promote sustainable growth and poverty eradication. In its inception phase, the programme focused on analytical and policy work to establish foundations for Forum Island Countries to undertake transformative actions in e-commerce. Since 2022, PIF’s focus has shifted to implementation of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap. 

PIF implements some of the Measures of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap for which it has a competitive advantage:

• Development of E-commerce Statistics for the Pacific

• PIF E-Biz Plus programme for the Pacific private sector 

• PIF E-commerce Rules Course for Pacific policymakers

• PIF Korea Grant funding programme targeting the Private Sector and Tourism Industry stakeholders

• Support to the implementation of National E-commerce Strategies and Assessments

Beyond implementation, the PIF has a leading role in the overall coordination of the Pacific E-commerce Initiative and the Pacific E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap.

According to your organization, what are the key challenges that developing countries will have to tackle in order to fully reap the benefits of e-commerce for sustainable development?

Our regional work is informed by the UNCTAD e-commerce methodology. Like other developing regions, key challenges for Pacific Island Countries include a lack of e-commerce data and comprehensive e-commerce strategies; poor and costly ICT infrastructure and services especially in the rural areas, with the cost of internet connection generally above the 2% monthly GNI threshold established by the ITU; costly trade logistics and insufficient adoption of relevant trade facilitation measures – implementation of trade facilitation measures in the Pacific was at 42% in 2023, well below the global average of 67%; an underdeveloped legal and regulatory environment, with pieces of e-commerce legislation such as privacy laws and e-transactions almost completely missing; difficulties to roll-out electronic payment solutions tailored to the needs of the unbanked; very limited skills supporting the productive use of E-commerce opportunities; and a financial system which makes it difficult to support innovative e-commerce ventures.

What prompted PIFs to join a multi-stakeholder partnership such as eTrade for all and what are your expectations of it?

As coordinators of the Pacific E-commerce Initiative, we will benefit from the additional exposure provided by the membership to the eTrade for All community. Our expectation is that through this community we will be able to network with new donor partners and technical agencies, advocate their support for our regional e-commerce cause, and engage productively for the benefit of our members. We will also benefit from the first-class knowledge of e-commerce that is shared among the partners of this community. Finally, we believe that the Pacific experience can provide interesting lessons on how to practically apply the concept of regionalism in the area of e-commerce, and we are looking forward to sharing our experience with other interested regional communities.

Is there something else you would like to share with the eTrade for all community?

In 2022 we launched a Pacific E-commerce Portal, the regional information repository on E-commerce Development in the Pacific. If you want to give visibility to your e-commerce activities in the Pacific, please be in touch with us and we’ll be happy to explore how to best embed your work in the Portal.