DHAKA, May 23, 2022 (BSS) - Yemen has replicated ekShop, an innovative e-commerce aggregator platform developed by Bangladesh's a2i, to provide online market solutions for MSMEs in urban, semi-rural, and rural areas.

UNDP Yemen introduced the first business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-customer (B2C) platform 'Yemeni Dkkan' (www.yemenidukaan.com), which is a replication of Bangladesh's established e-commerce model ekShop, at a virtual event today, said a press release here.

The ekShop, an e-commerce aggregation initiative of a2i, is implemented by the Cabinet Division and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and supported by UNDP Bangladesh ekShop.

Yemen replicated the ekShop as the third country following the successful deployments in South Sudan and Turkey.

UNDP Yemen, a2i, UNDP Bangladesh, and Vibrafone (a private telecommunications company in Yemen) jointly developed the e-commerce aggregator platform 'Yemeni D?kkan' to pave the way for effective knowledge and expertise transfer between the countries.

The newly launched 'Yemeni Dkkan' platform aimed to develop an awareness of the new e-commerce platform and introduce the micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs and private sector personnel to e-Commerce strategies and best practices in Yemen.

Since the businesses in Yemen have taken a severe blow from the protracted conflict and the national economy is struggling, the informal micro and SME sector have been contributing a lot to the economy.

As a centralized platform for small entrepreneurs to access wider markets at home and abroad as well as a logistical and payments connectivity, Yemeni D?kkan could provide a much-needed stability and boost to the e-commerce sector of Yemen.

Among others, UNDP Bangladesh's Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP Yemen's Resident Representative Auke Lootsma, UNDP Yemen's Project Manager Arvind Kumar, Mastercard Bangladesh's Country Manager Syed Mohammad Kamal, a2i's Project Manager Md. Mazedul Islam and Chief Executive Officer of Vibrafone Ibrahim Alshami spoke at the soft launch.

A panel discussion on E-commerce: Promising Prospect for the Business Community was also held headed by panelists and speakers from UNDP Yemen, UNDP Bangladesh, and Yemeni private sector participants following the launching event.

E-commerce specialist of a2i of Bangladesh Rezwanul Haque Jami moderated the panel discussion where Chief Executive Officer of Vibrafone Ibrahim Alshami, National Consultant a2i Bangladesh Md Sahariar Hasan Jiisun, CEO of Al Amal Microfinance Bank Mahammed Saleh Allai, Project manager of UNDP Yemen Arvind Kumar, and Acting Executive Director/Programming Academy Director of ROWAD Ahmed Qasim present as the panelists.

The panelists hope that the 'Yemeni Dkkan' will help micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs overcome challenges of accessing local markets, which would help build their livelihoods and income and strengthen their resilience to shocks and crises.

It will be developing E-Commerce awareness focusing on rural and urban areas and selling rural/urban small and medium entrepreneurs' products in e-commerce and alternative selling channels.

The platform will have the capacity to host thousands of products available at the doorstep of citizens by creating micro merchant level entrepreneurs and village-level home delivery of the products.

The platform will also provide opportunities for Microfinance institutions and banks to create transaction profiles and give wider access to institutional and non-institutional finance.