Export Performance and E‐Services

Abstract

One of the strongest messages coming from the UNCTAD report is not the extent to which e-Commerce has been adopted around the world but the lower than expected rates of penetration particularly in developing countries. This is compounded by the huge variation in take-up estimates and the overall unreliability of statistics. Chapter Nine is of particular interest therefore from two aspects. Firstly, there are some noticeable examples where developing countries are growing their e-services faster than developed countries and, secondly, there are some well accepted statistical measures which can be applied to measure the impact of such growth on the export competitiveness of such countries. However, once again it must be noted that whereas the measurement tools may be available the raw data is very much more difficult to define and collect and again must be taken as approximations. As noted in the earlier Chapter 5, the move to the efficient use of Information and Communications Technology within a business sector relies heavily in the first instance on local or locally available expertise. This is equally true for each single firm as well as an industry or economy as a whole. While some developing countries, notably Asia, have made inroads into the successful export of high-end computer hardware, the success of those countries discussed below in acting as outsource suppliers of software and expertise is highly correlated with investment in education and a local infrastructure as enablers. This chapter highlights two case studies of developing countries ? Costa Rica and India. Each of these is interesting for different reasons and the fact that these two economies and cultural contexts are also very different throws into relief the few factors they have in common. This is a chapter, which more than any suggests a particular way forward for countries who are currently lagging behind in global trade, and also carries strong implications for future government policies.