This assessment aims to explore how to enable e-commerce to become a driver of economic growth amid current macroeconomic challenges in Timor-Leste. By harnessing e-commerce, the country has the potential to stimulate domestic economic activity, and create new opportunities for job creation and exports, thereby fostering a more resilient and sustainable economy.

To fully leverage this potential, however, existing challenges must be addressed through cohesive policy implementation, capacity-building and strategic partnerships. As the first comprehensive review of Timor-Leste’s nascent e-commerce ecosystem, this assessment serves as a road map for implementing necessary policy and technical actions, with a National E-commerce Strategy (NECS) to be developed in 2024.