The social media offers a wider trade interaction for business starters and there is a genuine need to encourage such enterprising. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a warning to clampdown businesses established through the social media in a move many think is a step back. The Ministry justified its directives by saying that the decision was to protect “legitimate businesses” that trade in the high streets. However, there is nothing wrong to ask owners of social media enterprises to apply for a business licence and legitimise their trades.
Most of the traders conducting businesses using the social media are young people between the age of 18 to 35. Either they have dropped out from their education or could not get a job. To them, the social media businesses are a lifeline and a way forward. It must be encouraged. Social media is the future and it has been widely embraced by everyone. The logic provided by the Ministry is that these people do not operate in an outlet but at home. But one cannot go against the revolution of the new technology that is practiced widely globally.
Let us look at this example. If I subscribe for a newspaper online that prevents me from driving to a shop and buy one.
This action has already cut out the middleman who sells newspapers, yet it is seen as a legitimate business. The same way a social media business works. They operate from home and do not use the middleman as an outlet for their product. Prohibiting these businesses is going against the tide of change. Sooner or later the Ministry would be forced to reverse its decision and legitimate it now. It is bound to happen.
The surprising thing is that there is no law to prohibit customers in Oman to order online. It works the same way.
Most of the products of the social media businesses are food delicacy, fashion and make-up. The everyday products that are in demand on a day to day routine. It will be wise if a survey is conducted to find out how many of them are in existence and what are the products.
Also, it will be useful to find out the age group and the background of the business owners. The finding will reveal something important towards the economic contribution. Many would agree that in the current climate, social media businesses can be regulated but allowed to continue.
The benefits are many. One of them is to cut down the job queue to encourage self-employment.
The second benefit is the expansion of the market but into a different dimension. The government will earn taxes from them and that is another added benefit.
Preventing young people from flourishing using new wave of technology to conduct business, may work out against development. The justification that the social media will reduce the profitability of the trades in the high streets is unfounded. Competition should be encouraged not protected. It is part of a healthy business climate to allow competitors in the market and it is against free enterprising to only consider the interest of few and well established traders.
No one should fear the power of the electronic media and the youth are perfectly placed to develop this market. It is here to stay and nothing can stop it. The current objections will win temporarily but in the end common sense will prevail.
The youth are the future business leaders and this is their start-up platform for them. They don’t have the capital to rent a shop but once they are established from the electronic platform, then they can afford to do business in the street.
saleh_shaibani@yahoo.com
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