Move to resolve digital reg flaws

The Cabinet Division has moved to resolve the existing flaws in the digital registration system for e-commerce businesses in a bid to bring discipline in the sector.
Simplification of Digital Business Identification (DBID) registration, its legal status and area of utilisation, integration of DBID with trade licence, campaign, branding and capacity building of DBID and regular monitoring of its progress would be assessed in a meeting today (Thursday).
The Ministry of Commerce (MoC), Aspire to Innovate (A2i) programme and Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) have been implementing the DBID to deliver the government services fast, at a lesser cost and in a simplified way to materialise the vision of Smart Bangladesh.
On February 6, 2022, the government launched the system with an expectation to ensure transparency in digital businesses.
However, e-commerce entrepreneurs complained of complexities and bureaucracy in RJSC in obtaining ID.
They said the rejection of applications for simple reasons is making many entrepreneurs shy away from getting registered digitally.
Some alleged reluctance of the officials concerned to approve application without financial benefit though there is no cost or fees to obtain the ID.
Following the allegations, the Cabinet Division took the initiative with the assistance of A2i and UNDP to hold a coordination meeting with stakeholders to indentify the complexities.
Md Mahmudul Hossain, secretary, Coordination and Reform, Cabinet Division, would chair the discussion on the city's BIAM Foundation premises.
Representatives from Bangladesh Bank, the ministries of commerce, home, finance, post and telecom, textile and jute, ICT, local government, women and children affairs, Youth Development Directorate, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Joyeta Foundation and Dhaka north and south city corporations will take part in it.
Shomi Kaiser, president of the e-commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) and vice-president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said the situation has not improved much though rejection of applications for DBID reduced slightly in recent time.
"We want a seamless digital registration system with a friendly website," she said.
The e-commerce businesses have been demanding bilingual forms of DBID and a specific authorised entity who would deal directly with the online platform.
Until Wednesday, some 839 e-commerce businesses received DBID out of 6332 applications.

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