USCIB Members Lead B20 Digital Economy Forum

Digital GlobeUSCIB member companies dominated the agenda at the B20 Digital Economy Forum in Istanbul on October 6. Speakers included representatives from Intel, Boeing, Oracle, eBay, PayPal, Google, AT&T, Facebook, IBM. HP, GE, Ernst and Young and more.

“USCIB ICT Committee Chair Eric Loeb (AT&T) and Vice Chair Joe Alhadeff (Oracle), as well as dynamic local reps from member companies made effective presentations on governmental policies affecting the Digital Economy,” said Shaun Donnelly, USCIB vice president for investment and financial services, who attended B20 meetings in Istanbul this week.

The B20 is finalizing its policy recommendations to the G20 on improving the policy environment for the digital economy. The B20 Digital Economy Policy Paper is online here.

Excerpted from the paper, the B20 priorities on the digital economy are:

  1. Develop alternative policies to data localization
    • Address growing issues concerning the movement of data and adopt alternative policies to data localization.
  2. Improve the global trade system for the emerging digital economy with direct focus on e-commerce and digital trade
    • Discuss trade-facilitation measures to improve customs procedures with a direct focus on e-commerce challenges.
    • Establish one-contact information centers to support SMEs around legislation issues concerning cross-border e-commerce.
  3. Improve access of enterprises to digital economy and infrastructures
    • Commit to improved digital infrastructures and incorporate a five-year universal broadband connection target for G20 countries
  4. Develop and finance programs aimed at reducing skills mismatches in an era of rapid changes in technology and innovation
    • Establish a problem-solving and practice-focused STEM education approach in collaboration with the business community to prevent the expected skills shortage in STEM jobs.
  5. Assure legislative and regulatory support for alternative forms of funding
    • Support the emergence and growth of alternative sources of funding by harmonizing policies, regulations, and standards.
  6. Improve digitization of government processes
    • Increase use of digital technologies to transform key business processes to create greater leaps in efficiency and productivity.
    • Promote integrity in public procurement by instituting digital systems for efficiency and transparency to address issues during the procurement process.
    • Reduce corruption and improve efficiency in trade by moving towards a comprehensive digital environment for customs and cross-border systems through public-private collaboration in all G20 countries within five years.
  7. Establish a G20 governance mechanism to implement measures to improve the digital economy
    • Start a study group, with the inclusion of the World Trade Organization, World Customs Organization, International Trade Center, World Bank, OECD, the Global Commission on Internet Governance and the relevant engagement groups.

Staff Contact:   Alice Slayton Clark

Senior VP, Trade, Investment, and Digital Policy
Tel: 202.682.0051

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