E-commerce Services & Digital Economy - Belgium

In September 2016, the Belgian Development Cooperation has adopted a strategic policy note on "Digital for Development"(D4D). The latter focuses on three strategic priorities: 1) better use of (big) data; 2) digital for inclusive societies; and 3) digital for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Due to infrastructural, regulatory and skills-related barriers, e-commerce still represents a relatively moderate share of the total commerce in the fourteen partner countries (mostly located in Sub-Saharan Africa) of the Belgian Development Cooperation. As a consequence, the strategic note does not directly focus on e-commerce services. However, the third strategic priority aims at contributing, through e-government and other digital strategies, to the creation of the necessary conditions for the development of e-commerce in these partner countries.