E-commerce high on agenda

ELECTRONIC commerce for small business is high on the agenda.

Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan told guests at the recent E-Commerce Strategies for Business in the Wired World that getting WA online was an important issue for the government

The conference brought together some of Perth’s leading and emerging e-commerce providers to share ideas and strategies on growth potential in the industry.

Mr Cowan said success ultimately rested on the willingness of all parties to embrace the change and establish new norms.

“This will only happen when potential barriers – such as perceived costs, fear and mistrust of technology and attachment to traditional ways of doing business – are removed.

The Electronic Transactions Bill, introduced into Parliment on 30 June and expected to become law in early 2000, will have widespread effects on the e-commerce industry.

Mallesons Stephen Jaques partner Bruce Dodd told the conference the object of the bill was to provide a regulatory framework that recognised the importance of the information economy to the future economic and social prosperity of Australia.