(Staff Report):-
The E-commerce Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) entrepreneurship training program, a new project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is expected to create one million jobs through the training of 100,000 students with digital skills.
“Two agreements have already been signed, while the third one is underway between technical and vocational institutions from Pakistan and China to train more than 100,000 young Pakistani students proficient in the English language. This will prepare them to work in China as well as for self-employment through e-commerce platforms,” said Dr Khurshid Nizam, President of Ecommerce Gateway.
E-commerce BRI serves as a medium that bridges the gap between sellers and buyers. The online B2B Portal allows sellers to set up their company’s profile, inventory, and provide complete details about their services and products. By showcasing their goods and services, sellers can target potential global buyers.
According to Dr Nizam, the project offers a three-month virtual course to young students to help them build their own online companies. “We provide them with e-letterhead and e-visiting cards, which will encourage the youth to practically learn and establish their own businesses with minimal or no investment through digital training.”
He mentioned that the minimum qualification required for this course is intermediate. The course content is prepared by several Chinese universities of Cross-border e-commerce, and the course is free of cost as it is sponsored by the Chinese government.
China is steadily progressing in the digital sphere and extending its communication technologies to Pakistan to support its digital economy. This digital connectivity between China and Pakistan will create many opportunities to enhance people-to-people connectivity.
“The project prepares and encourages young individuals to start their own brands. We help our students find international suppliers, mainly from China. We have a list of thousands of suppliers who want to sell their products around the world and need young minds for digital marketing,” he added.
According to a report by Export.gov, a website managed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Pakistan has around 32 million Facebook users and one of the highest rates of smartphone penetration in South Asia, at nearly 34 percent. This makes Pakistan a potential market for e-commerce services and businesses.
