numbers of people using e-commerce. This factor will also grow more slowly than e-commerce value. It is assumed here that these two underlying factors, growth in people using e-commerce and growth in businesses using e-commerce to sell online will keep in step. 2.3.3 Provision of State and Region-based e-commerce hubs While micro and small businesses are already using social media to sell their products on an informal basis, the formalisation of such e-commerce using e-commerce platforms selling standardized highquality products with terms and conditions that provide consumer protection will be important for their future growth and the overall development of e-commerce in Myanmar. Local experience, training and support will enable these conditions to be met. Therefore, the strategy will establish ecommerce hubs in States and Regions that will provide access to the necessary digital infrastructure, training and support coupled with local mentors and local developers who can advise new adopters amongst businesses in the locality. The business focus of each hub will depend on the local business environment. By 2023, every State and Region will have at least one e-commerce hub to support the local development of e-commerce businesses. These e-commerce hubs will provide advice related to existing B2C and B2B platforms and access to infrastructure and services developed by the private sector and through Government funded sector-specific B2B platforms. 2.3.4 Provision of sector-specific e-commerce services There are already a number of retail e-commerce marketplaces operating in Myanmar. The need for additional retail marketplaces is not apparent. However, these existing marketplaces may not support all retail sectors, local producers particularly in rural and more remote States and Regions, and micro and small retail businesses. The strategy will provide support for local producers and areas of the country that are not covered by such marketplaces, and for micro and small businesses. Therefore, the strategy will ensure that: By 2023, Myanmar businesses in key sectors selling to consumers can use e-commerce as a channel to market through the use, wherever possible, of commercial e-commerce marketplaces. These marketplaces will be supported through the State and Regional ecommerce hubs. Sector specific e-commerce marketplaces are needed to encourage B2B e-commerce. Government will evaluate which sectors and size businesses need supporting and tender for services to be provided for each. These sector specific B2B e-commerce platforms will be rolled out through the E-commerce Hubs, with specialist support available and given. They will supplement existing ecommerce platforms, not compete with them and they will build on initiatives already under development by NGOs and others. Therefore, where a commercial or NGO-driven e-commerce website or service with broadly similar functionality is already present, any action by Government will be designed as an enhancement not as a competing platform. Therefore, the strategy will ensure that: A preliminary set of B2B e-commerce platforms that may be considered for implementation is shown in Table 2-1. Table 2-1: Proposed B2B e-commerce marketplaces Product Market Technology Benefit Agricultural inputs including those used for horticulture, livestock, arable Family farms and small farms USSD coded applications for GSM mobile phones Enable family farms and other small farms to purchase and pay for agricultural inputs online and have them delivered to their farm. This would provide access to a wider range of suppliers and hence there would be additional competition in the supply of these products, leading to lower prices, better 10