E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (ECAB) reported that the digital commerce sector suffered a loss of around Tk 1,700 crore over the past 13 days due to internet and Facebook shutdowns. ECAB President Shomi Kaiser announced this at a press conference, stating the data was collected from over 2,700 members. The first 10 days alone saw losses exceeding Tk 1,400 crore, with the e-commerce sector losing Tk 600 crore, e-tourism Tk 300 crore, and e-logistics over Tk 100 crore. Small and medium entrepreneurs relying on Facebook were particularly affected.
ECAB urged the government for low-interest, collateral-free loans, a six-month grace period for loan repayments, and assistance in obtaining ad refunds from Meta. They also requested the waiver of the 15% VAT on ads and trade licence renewal fees for this year, along with measures to keep communication channels open during future emergencies.
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