‘The e-commerce bill came in the form of control rather than regulation’
The MPs have said that the Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) Bill 2080 is more regulatory than regulatory. The parliamentarians said this during the theoretical discussion on the e-commerce bill in the House of Representatives on Monday.
The parliamentarians say that the provisions in the e-commerce bill discourage e-commerce rather than promoting it. Most of the parliamentarians who participated in the theoretical discussion thought that the bill should be amended to encourage e-commerce and facilitate doing business.
Speaking at the meeting, Nepali Congress MP Pradip Paudel said that the bill’s intention is more control than regulation. “It is natural for the law to regulate, but the intention of control should not be seen within the law,” he said.
He said that the e-commerce bill, which is operated through social media, cannot create employment by making a law prohibiting it. Likewise, CPN-UML MP Raghuji Pant also said that the e-commerce bill has been moved forward from the point of view of controlling e-commerce rather than encouraging it.
“It is necessary to promote and regulate e-commerce, but the control bill should not be moved forward,” he said.
Pant also objected to the provision in the bill to impose 2 punishments for the same offence. Is it possible for him to impose 2 punishments for the same offence, objecting to the provision that if the act that is considered an offence according to this Act is considered an offence according to other existing laws, it will not hinder the trial according to such laws? He asked.
Similarly, while participating in the discussion, MP Shishir Khanal of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party said that the bill has come without paying attention to how e-commerce is running in Nepal in the current environment. It is said in the bill that a website and an app should be created. That is like saying that you can come to New Road and open a shop, but you will not be able to do it,’ he said further.
According to him, a study has shown that in the next two to three years, the size of Nepal’s online business will exceed 1 billion dollars (about 1 trillion 30 billion rupees). CPN-Maoist Center MP Mahendra Shahi said that the e-commerce bill is necessary in the age of information technology and emphasized that the products produced in villages should be connected with the market using technology.
Similarly, Raswapa MP Sobita Gautam said that provisions such as creating a website and app to operate e-commerce are not suitable for new entrepreneurs. Similarly, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) MP Ranjukumari Jha said that the system of double legal punishment in the bill should be amended.
Similarly, Swarneem Wagle, MP of RSVP, said that especially small and medium enterprises cannot create their platform and that e-commerce operated through social networks should be considered legitimate.
MP Wagle said that the liabilities of mediators should not be considered criminal offences, dispute resolution should be facilitated and written agreements between platform providers and sellers are not acceptable.
In October 2080, the Electronic Business Bill 2080 was passed by the National Assembly and came to the House of Representatives. On Monday, the House of Representatives passed a proposal to be considered, and 72 hours have been given to submit an amendment proposal on the bill.
Now the parliamentarians will register the amendment on the bill. After that, the bill will be discussed weekly. After discussion and approval by the House of Representatives, the Bill will go back to the National Assembly. After that, it will be passed again by the National Assembly and will reach the President’s Office for verification. The bill will come into effect as a law after the President’s approval.
