Impact of e-commerce and use of information and communications technology on promotion and development of intra-OIC trade

This paper analyses the current situation of e-commerce and use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the OIC countries. Essentially, e-commerce and the use of ICT have grown rapidly as a result of the rapid expansion of the Internet in the developed countries in the late 1990s, a process through which their economies benefited immensely. Lately, the number of countries that recognise the importance of the Internet is rising since more of them take action every day to spread it on a wider scale. However, in most developing countries, including OIC members, low technological base, high Internet using costs, low GDP per capita, lack of appropriate financial and legal frameworks and low education level are important impediments to the growth of the Internet. Finally, the paper proposes some recommendations for OIC countries to deal with these important issues with a view to promoting intra-OIC trade after having made the required progress. (J Eco Coop Isl Count/DÜI)