Ashgabat becomes a platform for experience exchange in e-commerce

A conference titled "Quality Assurance in Accordance with International Standards in Turkmenistan" took place as part of the international exhibition-fair "International Trade and Services," held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During the panel discussion, leading experts from various countries shared their experiences in the development of e-commerce and the creative economy, and also discussed the key role of international standards in stimulating trade and attracting investment.

Perkhat Yagshyev, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, especially emphasized in his speech the importance of ensuring high quality and compliance with international standards in the country's trade and investment policy. This topic is particularly relevant in the context of dynamic global trade flows and Turkmenistan's consistent progress towards WTO membership.

The speaker gave a detailed account of the country's efforts to adapt national legislation and trade procedures to WTO requirements, noting active and fruitful cooperation with international partners, including UNCTAD, aimed at modernizing trade and digitizing export-import operations.

The invited international expert-Martin Smith, a research fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London and a specialist in the creative industries-presented an analysis of the impact of standards on the successful development of the UK’s creative industry. He noted that well-designed incentive measures can stimulate the creation of new enterprises in this sector. The expert also drew attention to the critical importance of collecting and thoroughly analyzing data to objectively assess the economic contribution of the creative economy, illustrating this with the example of the widespread use of intellectual property in modern smartphones.

Fabian Staechelin, founder of the Swiss company e-traid and a recognized expert on the eBay platform, continued the discussion on the significance of standards in the modern economy, focusing on the rapidly developing field of e-commerce. He addressed young entrepreneurs, expressing confidence in their great potential, and emphasized the steadily growing importance of e-commerce for the development of companies of any size, especially small businesses.

Using the successful experience of the Turkmen family company Hemdem Rugs, which specializes in online carpet sales, Fabian Staechelin demonstrated the effectiveness of verification in the international payment system Payoneer.

Payoneer, being a registered MasterCard provider with headquarters in New York, offers convenient online transfer services. Notably, Turkmen carpet products under the Hemdem brand, including exclusive handmade samples, are successfully represented on the global online platform eBay. To date, the company has sold a significant batch of carpets, mainly to buyers from the USA.

The expert shared valuable experience from his company e-traid, which provides comprehensive assistance to small businesses in expanding their presence in online markets. He particularly emphasized that strict compliance with international standards and stringent consumer protection laws is the cornerstone of successful e-commerce. In this regard, he highlighted the importance of proper packaging certification and ensuring transparent return conditions in case the product does not meet the buyer's expectations.

"The key to success in e-commerce is unconditional trust," summarized Fabian Staechelin.

The implementation of international standards is of strategic importance for increasing the competitiveness of Turkmen products in the global market. Unified requirements for the quality of goods and services, as well as transparent business principles, help strengthen the trust of international partners and end consumers. This opens new horizons for expanding exports, attracting foreign investment, and sustainable development of domestic entrepreneurship in accordance with generally accepted global norms.

The relevant issues discussed at the conference have a direct impact on the prospects for sustainable economic growth and the successful integration of Turkmenistan into the dynamically developing global economy.