 Sub-strategy 3.5.3: Expand the scope of mobile and fintech services, including through both domestic and foreign financial actors A robust set of commercial banks, including both local and foreign-owned banks, compete to offer a wide variety of financial products to a broad spectrum of customers (PSD-AP, Pillar 2) will enable e-payments to take place through a variety of mechanisms. These should include mobile payment services that are fully integrated into national payment systems for interoperability between services from different financial institutions or mobile service providers.  Sub-strategy 3.5.6: Promote more inclusive access to finance by developing a comprehensive microfinance sector strategy with clear regulatory arrangements, including a tiered system that serves different objectives and is cognizant of barriers faced by women and ethnic groups A strong microfinance industry led by well managed microfinance institutions which compete to provide payment, deposit, loan, and other financial products, and serve both microenterprises and SMEs in urban and rural areas (PSD-AP, Pillar 2) will enable ecommerce companies to start up. Strategy 3.6 Build a priority infrastructure base that facilitates sustainable growth and economic diversification Sub-strategies in this context are mainly concerned with improvements in road infrastructure that will have a direct impact on the development of transport services for e-commerce both nationally and internationally. E-commerce delivery services are reliant on a road infrastructure reaching out to small villages. This infrastructure needs to be able to support vans carrying e-commerce packages from distribution points and, potentially for B2B e-commerce, bulk goods. The following substrategies are particularly relevant to e-commerce.  Sub-strategy 3.6.6: Upgrade international transport corridors, such as expanding access to expressways for heavy commercial vehicles, rehabilitating and modernizing the pavement for high traffic highways, and improving road safety  Sub-strategy 3.6.7: Implement measures to improve road user fees framework, including heavy vehicle license fees, fuel levies, and road tolls  Sub-strategy 3.6.10: Improve rural transport connectivity, including through a new National Rural Road Access Program Strategy 3.7: Encourage greater creativity and innovation which will contribute to the development of a modern economy This strategy is mainly aimed at strengthening the legal and institutional basis to promote innovation (EP11). With respect to e-commerce, this translates into ensuring that the commercialisation of products and services can be achieved, since this is a precondition for trading in them. Commercialisation requires that ownership of the intellectual property is assured; this is a requirement for financing the development of production facilities and also necessary to avoid copying by other producers. Therefore, the following sub-strategies are important for e-commerce.  Sub-strategy 3.7.4: Facilitate greater access to finance and the commercialization of products and services produced by local entrepreneurs and ‘start-ups’  Sub-strategy 3.7.6: Strengthen intellectual property rights, including through a Myanmar patent and trademark office to protect innovations and inventions 60