MUZAFFARABAD (Muhammad Aslam Mir) - In a positive development, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has reported online business of more than Rs2 billion monthly.
It goes without saying Pakistan has a lot of potential in the e-commerce market due to the massive youth bulge it enjoys.
The total value of goods which are sold and purchased in Muzaffarabad and its surrounding areas has surpassed Rs500 million. Thousands of citizens use the internet to place their orders online in the three divisions of Azad Kashmir – Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Rawala Kot.
As per the data received by Dunya News from the income tax department, most of the people buy garment, shoes, clothes, things in domestic use, decorative items and carpets online.
In order to deliver the orders, seven private courier agencies, also the Pakistan Post, play key role. Almost 1,000 employees and riders are connected with these agencies.
Syed Qadeer Fatemi, who has experience of twenty eight years in working in a private courier agency, the ratio of female who place online orders is well beyond 40 percent. He said people of all ages use online as platform now with children as young as 12 and elders till the age of 60.
He said the online business has been growing with each passing day. It could be gauged from the fact that the courier companies hire almost three people every month to keep up with the ever-growing demand.
He said each courier agency pays Rs50,000 to its employees monthly while adding in case of timely deliveries, employees are given stipends of Rs20,000.
Fatemi added if the government plays its role – increase the internet rate and reduce the loadshedding - this business can even expand to Rs3 billion per month.
Meanwhile, it is also worth mentioning that dry fruits mainly walnuts, and precious things made by hands are sold online to the four provinces through Muzaffarabad.