Page 13 - bne_Tech_05_2020

Fintech & E-commerce
May 2020 www.intellinews.com I Page 13
Armenia’s online trade ‘up threefold amid pandemic’
Armenia’s volume of online trade has roughly trebled during the coronavirus (COVID-19) state of emergency, Stepan Tsaturyan, deputy high-tech industry minister, has told Armenpress.
National postal operator Haypost had attuned services to e-trade, Tsaturyan added, without disclosing figures on the volume in question.
Looking at the question of making ATMs available in remote settlements, he reportedly said: “But the ideology is for the cash to be used as little as possible. We should avoid using coins, banknotes as much as possible, as the experience showed that these methods serve as the best means for the spread of a virus. Non-cash transactions are more preferable options, the whole world is going to that, and keeping banknotes is a very expensive process for the state”, he added.
World Bank Blogs, meanwhile, on Eurasian Perspectives, on May 13, published an entry entitled “Internet use in Armenia: Toward a greater
role for digital tools in economic development.”
“Although fully 96 percent of households and
83 percent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have internet connectivity in Armenia, some surprising gaps remain in how people use this access. Quite simply, there is still a huge untapped market for online services, as the data suggest that many people and businesses are leaving digital opportunities on the table,” it read.
The entry added: “Individuals, businesses, and governments across the globe have been going digital in order to continue to function during
the COVID-19 pandemic. In the longer term, these digital tools and networks can unlock new opportunities. Businesses can become more productive, access new markets, and prepare for future growth. Individuals – as citizens, consumers of goods and services, and participants in the labor market – can connect to information, services, and markets and seek out new avenues for social and economic development.”
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