The primary goal of the ‘enabling environment’ project component is the establishment of
competitive sector. To achieve this, the World Bank is providing technical assistance,
policy guidance, and assistance in financing key investments such as a spectrum
management and monitoring system, which will allow MCIT to designate which entities
are permitted to use specific radio frequency for wireless communication and to monitor
compliance. $2.2 million will be allocated to support the corporatisation of MPT and the
eventual registration of MPT as a limited liability company. 65 The World Bank will also be
providing “technical assistance as needed for due diligence reviews of a suite of laws,
including privacy, data protection, cyber-crime and access to and freedom of information
and recommendations regarding the elaboration of legal and regulatory tools reflecting
international best practice in these areas.” 66
In order to facilitate increased rural connectivity, the World Bank is supporting MCIT in the
development of a process that would subsidise telecommunications and Internet
infrastructure in areas of Myanmar that may otherwise be considered economically
unviable.
The majority of the ‘enabling e-government foundations’ component will be devoted to
developing a ‘Myanmar National Portal’ to provide “citizens, businesses and visitors
(including foreign workers, investors and tourists) with a single on-line window for
Government information and services”. 67 The portal will reportedly be developed into a
mobile friendly tool for users to find such information in the Myanmar and English
languages. 68 The portal will also provide an outlet for users to provide suggestions and
feedback about poor service delivery or incidents of corruption, and transact services in a
safe and convenient electronic environment. This important objective of improving
transparency and accountability represents a significant and welcome shift from earlier
Government practices.
While a public consultation with civil society and community members was held in relation
to the Telecom Sector Reform Project, it has been the subject of criticism from some civil
society groups concerned that human rights considerations, particularly in terms of privacy
and surveillance, have not been incorporated into project plans or priorities. 69 In addition,
civil society has drawn attention to the lack of consideration of human rights risks within
seemingly ‘neutral’ issues like equipment procurement, expressing concerns about the
potential installation of equipment such as deep packet inspection can be used to detect
abnormal network activity that may be evidence of a cyber-attack but can also enable the
filtering of content and surveillance (see further Chapter 4.3 on Privacy and Chapter 4.4
on Surveillance).
65 Ibid, pg. 8.
66 Ibid, pg. 25.
67 World Bank, “Myanmar Moves Toward Connectivity for All” (6 February 2014).
68 See, World Bank “Project Appraisal Document On a Proposed Credit in the Amount of SDR 20.60 Million
(USD 31.5 Million Equivalent) to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar for a Telecommunications Sector
Reform Project” (January 2014), pg 21.
69 US Campaign for Burma et al, “Civil Society Comments on the World Bank Telecom Sector Reform Project
in Burma” (21 January 2014).
CHAPTER 2:
ICT GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, POLICIES & LEGAL FRAMEWORK
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