“Myanmar can actually leapfrog and doesn’t need to worry about a legacy problem which is faced by many other developing countries.” - E-Government Department, MOTC

Last November at the inaugural Asia IoT Business Platform Myanmar, U So Thein, Director General of the Burmese Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) stated a major factor in Myanmar’s rapid progression since its liberalization had been from the information and communication technology sector, because investments in telecommunications infrastructure has been a key contributing factor to the country’s GDP for the past 2 years. Also, at the same meeting, U Thaung Tin, former Deputy Union Minister of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology highlighted the government was willing and ready to embrace nationwide digital transformation.

The DEDC was formed last July with the mission to promote the development in economy and public services using digital technology and a 5-year master plan is being drafted now.

So, what are the current projects aimed at the digital economy in Myanmar? Let’s look at some of the latest updates from the infrastructure and urban development sides.

Infrastructure and connectivity

The Ministry of Transport and Communications shared in an interview a few months ago that the government was working on a long-term plan to revitalize and modernize public transport infrastructure. Over US$60 billion of investment is needed over the next 2 decades but the government only has the budget to cover one-third of the cost. While the Ministry is working on cost-cutting, it is also actively seeking more PPPs, stating that banging on China’s help may not be sustainable in a long run.

Last month, Mytel launched its services in the country, offering 80% of 2G and 4G network coverage, and is officially Myanmar’s fourth telecom operator. With this launch, it makes Mytel the first public telecom operator and the first to offer 4G services directly in the country. The next item on Mytel’s to-do list is to extend their coverage to 90%, providing internet connection to rural areas as well.

Urban development

The latest launch of an urban development project is the New Yangon City project. It was launched in early April this year, by the Yangon Region Government. The Yangon urban development master plan will emphasize on 42 projects, 25 projects under the urban development management sector (US$855 million) and 17 projects under the infrastructural development sector (US$1.8 billion), at an estimated total cost of US$2.6 billion. More specifically, among these projects, there are 9 urban development projects, 10 central business district renovation projects and 9 social services and management projects.

The investment recommendation to foreign businesses is to invest in smart city projects in northeast Yangon, industrial zones in Dagon East and South and low-cost housing projects in the Southwest Yangon.

For more information about Myanmar's digital transformation, email Lynne Yang of Industry Platform via the contact details listed below. 

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