States Worry Impact On Jobs After Changes Proposed To E-Commerce Rules

Some state governments plan to suggest strong safeguard measures in the proposed rules to ensure that any changes in the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 do not hamper their economic growth.

Some states, mostly those ruled by non-BJP parties, are apprehensive about the new set of e-commerce rules proposed by the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry to check mis-selling and fraudulent discounts, as they fear there could be a negative impact on jobs and market access for MSMEs created by various digital platforms in recent years. These state governments plan to suggest strong safeguard measures in the proposed rules to ensure that any changes in the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 do not hamper their economic growth engines and revenue collections, officials from those states said. However, it would be kept in mind that their suggestions do not come in way of the proposed rules enhancing the overall consumer protection framework, they asserted. Declining to be identified, these officials said it is a sensitive matter that needs to be tackled carefully as protecting consumers' interest is as important as safeguarding jobs, MSMEs and lakhs of self-employed individuals including artisans, weavers and those in agriculture and allied sectors who have been benefiting immensely from the growth of the e-commerce sector.