Pakistan Plans Digital Bill for E-commerce Regulation

Islamabad, August 9, 2025, 04:40 PM PKT — Pakistan is poised to launch a transformative ‘Digital Bill’ to regulate digital marketing and e-commerce platforms, targeting cartelisation and consumer fraud, as reported by The Express Tribune, driven by scrutiny of Chinese platform Temu by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). Temu’s aggressive discounts and risk-free purchases have been flagged for disadvantaging local sellers, prompting concerns from the Chainstore Association of Pakistan, which cites market distortion by foreign platforms like Temu and Shein, impacting consumers and domestic businesses. The bill will enforce truth-in-advertising, mandatory registration of agencies and influencers, data privacy safeguards, and curbs on deceptive marketing, addressing misleading ads on Facebook, cash-on-delivery scams, and lending app fraud on social media.

Experts advocate a robust framework to match global standards, citing Amazon’s clear product details (specifications, prices, taxes, delivery, refunds), while the Pakistan eCommerce Association (PEA) Chairman Omer Mubeen demands tax relief on the 18% general sales tax (GST) and additional levies from the 2025-26 budget, which threaten small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and women entrepreneurs with closures. Banks and payment intermediaries must now retain buyer data quarterly, and courier services face penalties for tax non-compliance under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Web context on e-commerce regulation shows global trends, but posts found on X reflect mixed views—some welcome protection, others fear overregulation. Critically, the narrative of “market fairness” may mask implementation gaps—web data hints at enforcement challenges, and X sentiment suggests distrust in effective oversight, pointing to potential hurdles.