Table 3-1: E-commerce penetration related to input factors15
Country
Name
GDP per
capita, PPP
(constant
2017
international
$)
GDP
per
capita
(2017,
current
US$)
Share of
individuals
using the
Internet
(2018 or
latest)
Share of
individuals
with an
account
(15+, 2017)
Secure
Internet
servers
(Normalised,
2018)
UPU
postal
reliability
score
(2018 or
latest)
1,250
Used the
internet to
buy
something
online in the
past year(%
age 15+)
2.6
Myanmar
4,620
Cambodia
3,928
31
26
24
26
1,385
3.1
40
22
41
20
Pakistan
Zambia
4,571
1,465
0.9
16
21
44
54
3,485
1,535
5.1
26
46
36
9
Bangladesh
4,161
1,564
1.3
15
50
44
47
Kenya
4,036
1,568
9.3
26
82
49
47
India
6,185
1,981
2.9
34
80
48
65
Vietnam
7,156
2,366
18.7
70
31
66
77
Lao PDR
7,258
2,424
5.6
26
29
30
56
Indonesia
10,934
3,837
9.9
40
49
64
48
On this basis it can be seen that Myanmar has similar GDP per capita to Zambia and Kenya, and all
the Asian countries except India, Vietnam, Lao and Indonesia which have a higher GDP per capita.
However, Myanmar has a higher e-commerce penetration level than Pakistan and Bangladesh, and
only slightly lower than India. On input factors, however, there are marked differences between
countries. These are considered below in order.
Share of individuals using the Internet. Myanmar performs relatively well against all other countries
in this benchmark on this measure, even performing well against Kenya and Zambia with their
higher levels of e-commerce penetration. However, Cambodia is higher, and Vietnam is over double
the level of Myanmar. Thus, Myanmar has a gap which needs addressing to improve its e-commerce
penetration. This gap is being addressed already and measures in the strategy are intended to further
promote the use of the Internet.
Share of individuals with an account. Electronic payments and payments through financial
institutions are a first step towards e-commerce. Electronic bill payment and payment for goods
using mobile wallets in shops introduce the idea of trading electronically, and indeed, electronic
payments using mobile wallets, payment cards or by electronic funds transfer enable e-commerce to
move beyond CoD, removing a major inhibitor to penetration. Zambia, Bangladesh, Kenya and India
perform particularly well with regard to this input factor, while Myanmar is lagging. However, while
it may be important, having an account is not an over-riding requirement. Vietnam, has high
consumer e-commerce penetration despite its relatively low score on this measure, whereas India’s
high score belies its laggardly performance in e-commerce penetration. Nevertheless, in Kenya and
Zambia, mobile wallet use has become widespread, with e-commerce performed using GSM feature
phones as well as with smart phones and other digital devices. The combination of mobile wallets
and e-commerce services geared to the needs and resources of lower income groups and those in
rural areas that do not have access to broadband internet services, would appear to be a major driver
of e-commerce in those countries. While smartphones are becoming increasingly prevalent in
Myanmar, there is still a need for very basic e-commerce services for feature phone users who do
not have access to the Internet aligned with mobile wallets or other digital payments enabled on
mobile phones. The strategy is addressing this requirement.
Secure Internet servers. This measure is a proxy for the development of the IT sector and the
availability of IT services. Myanmar is lagging behind all other countries in this benchmark in this
15
ibid
70