Department works to simplify regulation of e-commerce, dispute settlements

The move is aimed at serving the surge in e-commerce traders following the government’s “digital economy” policy.
Pongpun Gearaviriyapun, director-general of the department, yesterday urged e-commerce operators to register with the department under the Business Act so that they will get a legal business licence and protection under the law.
If they are doing business legally, it will be easier to inspect them and they will be trusted by consumers who want to do business with them in cyberspace. If they do not register with the department, they could run into problems, as the department has called on associations and website owners not to allow those enterprises to trade online.
After e-commerce sites register, they will get a DBD Registered and DBD Verified Certificate so that they can be trusted by consumers.
With the government’s digital-economy policy, more traders and consumers have tended to do more business online. Local companies should focus more on electronic trading in the domestic and overseas markets.
Online trading will become tougher to do, so businesses should prepare to adapt and increase trust among consumers, Pongpun said.
The department estimates that e-commerce will grow by 20 per cent a year as more people surf the Internet.
To solve problems with e-commerce trading, the department has set up a dispute centre at the Commerce Ministry’s head office in Nonthaburi to clear up problems between e-commerce traders and online shoppers.
This is in response to many complaints about e-commerce trading that were forwarded to the department and the Consumer Protection Board.