E-Commerce Bill Reviewed

MoICS drafted an e-commerce bill in December 2020 which aimed at creating, regulating, and facilitating online trade in Nepal. The Ministry solicited suggestions on the draft bill from the stakeholders digitally. DRN reviewed the bill from a right-based approach especially the digital rights and consumer rights perspective. Review highlighted the contentious provisions to be rectified, removed, and included. Absence of consumer rights, narrow definition of e-commerce, technology-dependent provisions, linkages with the national civil code and provision for data protection were the key points of review. The review was submitted to the Ministry on which DRN received appreciation for supporting the lawmaking process. MoICS has trusted DRN’s observations on finalizing the draft bill.