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USAID launches $18 million program to train small businesses in e-commerce

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Warren De Guzman, ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - The United States Agency for International Development or USAID on Wednesday launched an $18 million 5-year program that aims to train 30,000 Filipino small businesses in e-commerce. </p><p>US Ambassador to the Philippines Ambassador MaryKay Carlson led the launch of the &quot;Strengthening Private Enterprise for the Digital Economy&quot; in Makati, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Finance, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Anti-Red-Tape Authority.</p><p>&quot;This partnership with the Philippine government aims to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate safely, reliably, and competitively in the country’s emerging e-commerce ecosystem,&quot; Carlson said.<br/> <br/>The program aims to build upon another USAID-led initiative that trained 350 women-owned enterprises in online selling and digital marketing. That program eventually led to a combined P36 million in revenues. </p><p>Increased adoption of digital technology, including electronic payments and the like, can greatly benefit SMEs, she said.</p><p>&quot;Together, our goal is to transform at least 30,000 SMEs across the country by boosting their operational efficiency, productivity, sales, and by expanding their opportunities to grow into more mature and bigger enterprises,&quot; she added.</p><p>Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the program could be a game changer for MSMEs, which account for over 99 percent of all registered business establishments in the Philippines. </p><p>&quot;Digitalized MSMEs can operate more efficiently, reduce costs, reach bigger markets, and earn profits. For example, digital systems of enterprises can accumulate cash flow data on sales, use enterprise data for credit scoring, and provide access to cash flow-based credit,&quot; Pascual said. </p><p>But the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said other legislative measures must be approved to further give opportunities to MSMEs.</p><p>Measures pending in Congress include the bill on Open Access in Data Transmission and Better Internet, appropriation of sufficient budget to put up telecom infrastructure, implement the Innovation Act, PCCI President George Barcelon said.</p><p>&quot;The greater challenge now is to ensure that this technology becomes readily available to everyone. We have to make sure that everybody has access to what you and I have access to,&quot; he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/19/22/dti-opens-store-showcasing-products-of-small-local-firms">DTI provides venue for pandemic-hit MSMEs to sell their goods</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/27/20/e-commerce-seen-driving-ph-internet-economy-to-28-billion-by-2025-google">E-commerce seen driving PH internet economy to $28 billion by 2025: Google</a></li></ul><div><strong> RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1642550" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The United States Agency for International Development or USAID on Wednesday launched an $18 million 5-year program that aims to train 30,000 Filipino small businesses in e-commerce. 

USAID launches $18 million program to train small businesses in e-commerce

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USAID launches $18 million program to train small businesses in e-commerce

Warren De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 11, 2023 05:28 PM PHT

Read More:

e-commerce

USAID

MSMEs

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online shopping

digitalization

DTI

businesses

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