Pearl Shine Group
International (PSGI), a nationally & internationally recognized diversified
group of companies, recently entered into a strategic partnership with one of the
world’s largest B2B portals, Alibaba.com. The platform provides an online space
that brings together buyers and sellers to communicate, collaborate and carry
out global trade. More than 650,000 Pakistani SMEs are currently members of
Alibaba.com, and the new local partnership will help grow and solidify new
potential for local suppliers to enjoy more exposure in the global market.
“Pakistani exporters need a
stronger online presence because the world has turned into a global village,”
said PSGI CEO, Irfan Haider Awan. “Local business owners should explore and
avail the opportunities beyond our national territory by making intelligent use
of e-commerce mechanisms in this new technological era. Such steps will not
only help Pakistani SMEs benefit from economies of scale but will also contribute
to better balance of trade.”
He further added, “Many
countries today are enjoying economic growth by effectively using the Internet
for business. The global B2B e-commerce
transactions have crossed US$12.4 trillion milestone in 2012 which stood was
just $ 3.4 trillion in 2005. Although Pakistan still lacks a substantial presence in terms of online
business, it also highlights the high potential this medium represents for us,
especially for our 3 million-strong SME community.”
“Alibaba.com is excited about this new partnership
with PSGI for it gives us a chance to work closer with the Pakistan market,”
said Head of Global Supplier Development and Sales, Timothy Leung, Alibaba
Group. “Online business and e-commerce can potentially take Pakistan’s trade
opportunities to the next level. We understand the potential of Pakistani SMEs
and will continue to offer new programs and services, both online and offline,
so these businesses can learn how to capitalize from online trade through
Alibaba.com.”
Alibaba.com
will be offering its new service, Verified Membership, to new and existing
members for a limited time. Launched at the beginning of 2012, the Verified
Membership program is aimed at helping Alibaba.com’s non-paying supplier
members establish trust with potential buyers. Suppliers participating in this
program undergo basic background checks to confirm that they are legitimate
businesses. Government records such as tax ID numbers and other sources are
cross-checked to confirm a company really exists and to verify its contact and
other information is accurate. Those who successfully pass the verification
process will gain a special logo on their Alibaba.com profiles and enjoy higher
search rankings than free members.
Verification for Pakistani suppliers on Alibaba.com will be conducted by
its local partner PSGI, with all communication with customers in URDU to offer
a more localized experience. With the new Verified Membership program,
Alibaba.com and PSGI will further “trade-enable” Pakistani SMEs by confirming
their legitimacy and making them more visible to buyers worldwide who source
products through Alibaba.com.
The new partnership between
PSGI and Alibaba.com aims to help small businesses market their products
internationally, find genuine buyers, sell their products/ services and explore
domestic and international business opportunities. It is expected that the
partnership will contribute to the development of Pakistan’s e-commerce
environment which has the potential to increase business activity, drive
economic growth and create new job opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.
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