September 5 2019: One hundred and eighty (180) entrepreneurs are learning to establish online businesses through a series of training sessions, organised by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and exporTT. Minister of Trade and Industry, Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon who spoke at the launch of the e-commerce training sessions on September 4th stated that “The Government has recognized the invaluable contribution of e-commerce to businesses in terms of reduced time, cost and bureaucracy.” She indicated that the training sessions were specifically tailored to address capacity related gaps identified as impediments to e-commerce by stakeholders.
According to the Minister, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) have been prioritised for training and assistance. “MSMEs are an essential pillar of any economy and comprise approximately 80% of businesses locally…Recognising this the Ministry has focused its efforts on strengthening MSMEs with this series of training sessions designed to guide the entrepreneur through every facet of the online process.” To promote e-commerce the Government has also made available a co-financing grant for first time website and e-commerce platform development for up to 50% of expenditure (up to a limit of TT$35,000).
The workshops are being be facilitated by an ICT and Digital Economy Strategist and all sessions are fully booked. The series will focus on “How to go online” and “How to market your good/service online.” These sessions will help participants understand the local e-commerce environment, the value of having an online presence and online marketing and demonstrate to participants the process involved in building an online store and the available tools and solutions.
This activity is an output of the National E-Commerce Strategy which is being implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The strategy is focused on increasing the use of electronic commerce in business and trade related activities by creating an enabling environment that facilitates and promotes e-commerce for businesses.
