'E-commerce law, formation of authority unlikely anytime soon'

Commerce ministry additional secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman on Tuesday said the formation of e-commerce authority may not be possible anytime soon.

"It takes time to constitute an authority and there is a matter of involvement of the public administration ministry and the finance ministry," he said after a meeting at the commerce ministry.

The committee formed to draft a digital commerce law and an authority held its first meeting.

"We will strengthen the digital commerce cell and the technical support will be provided," said AHM Shafiquzzaman who is the convener of the committee.

He said there are the Digital Security Act (DSA), the National Consumers' Rights Protection Act and the Competition Commission Act. "May be we can amend these acts, and add new sections or sub-sections," the additional secretary added.

However, AHM Shafiquzzaman further said it will be known after a month whether a separate law will be formulated and an authority will be formed or not. A sub-committee has been working on it.

Fraudulences in the e-commerce sector had not taken place if the commerce ministry would have implemented decisions of the prime minister's office. The commerce ministry is responsible for this.

When asked about this matter, Shafiquzzaman said, "The damage that has occurred, we are unable to recover it. I have no jurisdiction to answer this specific question."