Sri Lanka’s next e-commerce challenge is to make cross-border selling easier to complete, not simply easier to start. A new ODI Global study, covered by the Daily Mirror on 9 October, puts trade administration and small-business readiness at the centre of that task.
Digital uptake meets practical barriers
The ODI report draws on 953 importers and exporters. It says more than 70% of exporters use e-commerce, including 72% of micro, small and medium-sized exporters.
Yet 80% of surveyed businesses faced documentation burdens, while roughly two-thirds of e-commerce traders identified customs delays. The findings also point to weaknesses in cross-border payments and shortages of digital marketing and technical skills.
What the proposed reforms cover
The recommendations combine support for firms with wider changes to trade systems. They include training, marketplace preparation, shared parcel freight arrangements and a faster customs channel for low-value shipments.
The report also calls for progress on a National Single Window and better data exchange. These are policy recommendations; the publication does not mean every measure has been adopted.
Why this matters beyond a website
For a small seller, an overseas order is only useful if payment, paperwork and delivery work together. A polished storefront cannot by itself resolve a parcel held up in the export process.
The practical opportunity is therefore to connect business training with dependable fulfilment. For readers assessing the proposals, the most useful follow-up will be clear information on eligibility, costs and implementation dates once individual programmes are announced.
