The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) will soon institute a new registry for businesses in Myanmar’s growing e-commerce industry. Starting in December, online stores will be required to submit basic identifying information as well as their full product catalogues and daily sales volumes. U Zayar Swe, deputy director of the MOC’s Consumer Affairs Department said that the new registry is designed to ensure tax collection from these businesses and protect people from scams. “We aim to protect the consumers while making the list of online businesses in the country for the first time,” the Myanmar Times quoted him as saying.

A mere five years ago, formal online shopping was all but non-existent in Myanmar, with most consumers relying on informal logistics channels to purchase goods on retailers like Alibaba and Amazon. Yet with the development of telecommunications, logistics infrastructure, and e-payment platforms, online retailers such as Shop.com and Yangon Door2Door have entered the larger cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only hastened this development, with many staunchly brick-and-mortar businesses suddenly forced to conduct business over the cloud, accepting payments via credit card or e-payment services such as Wave Money and KBZ Pay. Development of e-payment platforms is one of the stated objectives of Myanmar’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.