Digital Trade in MENA : Regulatory Readiness Assessment
A strong regulatory framework can provide essential tools for remote transactions and improve trust in digital trade. Yet, regulations can also introduce restrictions that hamper the conditions for digital markets. Based on a database of 20 Middle...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/786271585574266618/Digital-Trade-in-MENA-Regulatory-Readiness-Assessment http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33521 |
| Summary: | A strong regulatory framework can
provide essential tools for remote transactions and improve
trust in digital trade. Yet, regulations can also introduce
restrictions that hamper the conditions for digital markets.
Based on a database of 20 Middle East and North Africa
countries and 20 comparator countries around the world, this
paper shows that the Middle East and North Africa region is
falling behind in establishing a modern governance framework
for the digital economy. The analysis focuses on a set of
regulatory areas, including electronic documentation and
signature, online consumer protection, data governance,
cybersecurity, and intermediary liability regulations. It
assesses each country's domestic regulatory framework
in light of recent international trends and regulatory
models. The study shows that regulation of digital markets
in countries in the region is still in its infancy, being
mostly governed by general laws that were not originally
intended for the digital era. Some countries have tried to
support an export-oriented information technology sector by
keeping an updated regulatory framework. However, regulation
in most countries in the region, regardless of their level
of development, still features some major loopholes that can
limit consumer trust in digital markets or reduce certainty
-- and increase costs -- for digital businesses. |
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