Myanmar Developing its Digital Economy

Over the next six years, Myanmar will be developing its digital economy. The government has come up with a roadmap to enable digital transformation, governance, trade and innovation to develop the digital economy and encourage inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development. Myanmar will be supporting this mission by four pillars - a six plus one strategy, nine priority sectors, 14 goals, 32 short-term action plans and six longer term action plans.

A recent report by, We Are Social, highlighted that internet penetration in Myanmar rose to 40 per cent last month, with 99 per cent being mobile-internet users. U Myo Khaing Win, deputy director of the Department of Trade said many use the internet to conduct e-commerce transactions. Win said at present Myanmar has about 220,000 active online buyers. "The market is about 0.07 per cent of Myanmar's GDP."

The government and related organizations are working together to develop the necessary sectors to build a digital economy ecosystem. And in this regard the Digital Economy roadmap proposes implementation plans, and goals by timeline. It targets digital advancement in education, healthcare, agriculture, fishery and livestock, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), financial services, technology, start up, digital trade, transportation and logistics.

Through the roadmap, the Myanmar government is working towards increased productivity and competitiveness in every sector. And this will help raise the living standards in the country as a whole.