Launching Yemeni Dükkan: Yemen’s First e-Commerce Platform
Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 23, 2022 – UNDP Yemen introduced the first of its business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) platform, ‘Yemeni Dükkan’ (www.yemenidukaan.com) in Yemen, which is a replication of Bangladesh’s established e-commerce model ekShop at a virtual event held on Monday. Developed by the UNDP Yemen, a2i, UNDP Bangladesh, and the Yemeni private sector (Vibrafone Telecommunications Company), the platform provide virtual market solutions for MSMEs in urban, semi-rural, and rural areas.
Welcome, and keynote speeches were given by Auke Lootsma (Resident Representative, UNDP Yemen) and Sudipto Mukerjee (Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh). In addition, the launch has been headed by panelists and speakers from UNDP Yemen, UNDP Bangladesh, and Yemeni private sector participants. The event is aimed to develop an awareness of the new e-Commerce platform and introduce the micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs and private sector personnel to e-Commerce strategies and best practices.
Business in Yemen has taken a severe blow from the protracted conflict. As a result, the national economy is struggling. However, as the informal micro and SME sector contribute a lot to the economy, a centralized platform for small entrepreneurs to access wider markets at home and abroad as well as a logistical and payments connectivity can provide much-needed stability and boost to the sector.
In the long run, Yemeni Dükkan hopes to help micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs overcome the challenges of accessing local markets, which would help build their livelihoods and income and strengthen their resilience to shocks and crises. It will be developing E-Commerce awareness focusing on rural and urban areas and selling rural/urban small and medium entrepreneurs’ products in e-commerce and alternative selling channels. The platform will have the capacity to host thousands of products available at the doorstep of citizens by creating micro merchant level entrepreneurs and village-level home delivery of the products. The platform will also allow Microfinance institutions and banks to create transaction profiles and give wider access to institutional and non-institutional finance.
The established model of ekShop (an a2i eCommerce aggregation initiative supported by UNDP Bangladesh and the ICT Division of the Bangladesh Government) has been replicated in Yemeni Dukkan, paving the way for effective knowledge and expertise transfer between the countries.