Elevate Global Access Through E-Commerce (E-GATE) in Central Asia is a World Bank program launched in 2023, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK FCDO) under the Effective Governance for Economic Development (EGED) program. E-GATE seeks to alleviate poverty by opening new opportunities and broadening market access for Central Asian producers and smaller business entities.
E-commerce is a driver of economic development in our globalized world, bringing traditional commerce online and simplifying trade. In 2024, global B2C e-commerce sales hit $6 trillion, surpassing the GDPs of Germany and Japan, while B2B sales reached $20 trillion, roughly equal to the GDPs of the USA or China.
E-GATE will champion and grow e-commerce in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, working with governments, business associations, and the private sector by:
- Developing an e-commerce readiness index for Central Asia;
- Providing capacity-building on business intelligence, e-commerce intelligence (including livestream e-commerce), and onboarding local MSMEs to international e-commerce marketplaces;
- Conducting awareness-raising events to promote local producers worldwide and attract global e-commerce players and potential investors to the region;
- Measuring e-commerce volume through the World Bank “Listening 2” surveys;
- Providing analytical help in updating legal documents related to the regulation of e-commerce in the countries of Central Asia.
Using the “Listening 2” (L2) tool, E-GATE surveyed over 1,500 households in the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan in 2023-2024, showing that the vast majority of households shop online by placing orders through social media or messenger apps rather than through marketplaces.
In 2024, the E-GATE team is implementing an E-GATE component focused on onboarding selected producers (up to 100 firms) from the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and providing financial and non-financial support for their membership on the Alibaba B2B marketplace. Non-financial support includes conducting thematic workshops and webinars, providing individual hands-on support for selected producers, and more. The goal of the component is to help local producers increase their income by selling on cross-border e-commerce marketplaces.
