united nations economic commission for latin america and the caribbean eclac washington office lc was r 22 electronic commerce international trade employment review of issues april 8 2002 this paper prepared by pursuant recommendation presidential declaration xv summit rio group entitled towards information society challenges on social equity competitiveness table contents introduction 3 i an overview 4 1 what is 2 effects e economy 7 firm productivity ii indicators do they reveal 10 internet penetration 11 13 digital divide 16 iii 19 21 iv concluding remarks 25 bibliography 27 a relatively new phenomenon its rapid expansion since mid 1990s has drawn attention to impact it will have promoting
