Pakistan officially added to Amazon’s sellers' list, says Dawood

Amazon has confirmed that it has added Pakistan to its sellers' list, said Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Friday.

The development comes as a welcome relief for Pakistan’s entrepreneurs who have for years seen the e-commerce giant grow its operations in neighbouring countries like India. Past practice has seen most Pakistani sellers registering their companies in other countries to bypass this barrier to entry.

However, Dawood said the government has been engaging with Amazon since 2020 to clear this hurdle for Pakistan. As digital penetration and investment increase in the country, access to Amazon's marketplace would prove to be a growth opportunity for small and medium-scale enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and young talent in Pakistan.

"It is a big accomplishment for our e-commerce and will open up vast opportunities for a new breed of young men and women entrepreneurs. We congratulate everyone involved," said Dawood.

Vice President of Amazon International Seller Services Eric Broussard, who was quoted in the tweet by Dawood, said that Amazon is eager to work with “Pakistan's dynamic business community, including small and medium-scale sellers, and help connect them with customers around the globe”.

Pakistan's e-commerce market size grew by over 35% in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021 to Rs96 billion compared to Rs71 billion over the same period last year, according to data provided by the Ministry of Commerce,. These trends point towards the growing inclination of Pakistani consumers towards online channels.

Other factors such as increase in mobile broadband penetration, enhancements in international payment methods and government support for e-commerce are also positive signs.