E-commerce policy to be out this month

Chennai: The government is expected to release the e-commerce policy by the last week of February. The Centre will not immediately constitute a regulatory authority for the sector.

“In a conversation with senior officials of Ministry of Commerce, it was assured that e-commerce policy is almost ready and will be announced shortly. In a day or two, the government will also consult us on this,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

CAIT had met the ministry officials to express the traders’ concern over “circumvention of FDI rules” by some e-commerce players. Amazon had brought back its key sellers Coudtail and Appario after making changes in the equity holding structure. CAIT asked the Commerce Ministry to take note of this.

According to Khandelwal, the ministry has assured that the government is concerned about small traders of the country. It has renamed the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion as Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade to take care of the trade.

However, the government will not constitute a regulator for e-commerce sector immediately. The stakeholders of retail trade have been demanding a regulatory authority on the lines of TRAI and IRDAI for some time.

“Now that DIPP is there, the government does not find an immediate need for a regulator. However, if need be, it will take a call on this after assessing the post-policy situation,” said Khandelwal.

The government is planning to frame a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade as well. But the retail industry will have to wait for it for more time. However, the government has not yet consulted organised retailers on the e-commerce policy.

The Retailers Association of India said it has not received any communication from the government.