Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Paris, Madrid, Pakistan, Ceylon, and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers will promote e-commerce under the South Asian Chambers Cluster Project, a EU-Asia investment programme based activity.
At a recent seminar held in Paris, Saarc CCI Secretary General Muhammad Iqbal Tabish signed an agreement with the Paris CCI for implementation of 'South Asian Chamber of Commerce Cluster for Electronic International Trade', according to a media release here on Thursday.
Objective of the project is to strengthen local networks of Chambers by providing them with necessary tools and know-how to increase range of services to international trade-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The project specifically aims at opening of a South Asian online trade cluster, including deployment of Chamber Trust and implementation of a 'secure negotiation room' inter-connected with the global world-wide Chamber Portal (World Chambers Network).
While the project has been operational since May 2008, this was the first meeting where representatives from all the partner organisations participated to make headway for implementation of the plan.
Georges Fischer, delegate director International Co-operation, Paris CCI and director of the project gave the presentations for implementation of the South Asian Chamber Cluster Project, which includes creation of a South Asian Cluster for developing regional trans-border e-business interconnected with the World Chambers Network, thus allowing when required and necessary access to the global market. It will enable Chambers of Commerce to become 'trusted third parties' in the international e-trade, mainly through deployment of the Chambers Trust Initiative.
Creation of an electronic trusted negotiation room by combining Chamber Trust (selection of partners) with a trusted 'electronic safe' necessary to store the possible elements of proof in case of a dispute, is also envisaged under the plan.
In addition to providing training to Chamber staff, the implementation phase will help assess possibilities to deploy other e-commerce tools (online ATA carnets, certificates of origin, electronic signature, online mediation) compatible and inter-operable with those developed by the European Chamber Movement. Representatives from CCI Paris, CCI Madrid, CCI Pakistan, Ceylon Chamber, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers, Federation World Chambers and Federation-ICCI also participated in the seminar.