Studies on the Burmese economy by individual Burmese economists

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Description: "Since Myanmar gained its independence on 4 January 1948, it has passed through several highly distinct phases of development: decades of isolation, at fi rst self-imposed and later the result of sanctions, then the introduction of a market economy in the late 1980s, with various watershed moments in the country’s politics, ushering in a period of transition which has recently gathered pace. Th is has been accompanied by radical political and economic changes, mainly at the national level but also in the international context as the country has opened up to the outside world. In Myanmar itself, at the level of the Union Territory of Nay Pyi Taw, the 14 states and regions and the 330 townships, dramatic changes are taking place: the massive expansion of infrastructure, the intensive development of formerly peripheral areas of the country, much of which has been driven by resource extraction, and stronger links with neighbouring countries, all of which are focusing interest on the nature and pace of, and potential for, development in individual regions. In this setting, the purpose of this ‘Socio-Economic Atlas of Myanmar’ is to provide, for the fi rst time, a geographical overview and analysis of the country’s development progress and the spatial characteristics and disparities in its socio-economic transition using maps and texts. Th e idea for the Atlas evolved over the last 21 years, since February 1996, as a result of the increasingly intensive cooperation between the Departments of Geography at the University of Yangon, Myanmar, and the University of Cologne, Germany. Th e signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Universities on 23 August 2003 – highly unusual at the time – led to even more intensive cooperation in the fi elds of research and teaching. In 2011, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Urban and Regional Development was established as a partnership between the University of Yangon and the University of Cologne. Following various joint workshops between Germany and Myanmar, a partnership was also established with the then Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD), now the Department for Urban and Housing Development (DUHD) at the Ministry of Construction. Here too, many years of positive and increasingly intensive cooperation culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 13 June 2012 and the founding of the Myanmar German Research Centre for Urban and Regional Development (MGRC). Th e results of a joint research project – ‘Th e 81+ urban network system of Myanmar’ – were also incorporated into the Socio-Economic Atlas. Since 2011, an intensive partnership has also developed with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which is a German federal enterprise and supports the German Government in international cooperation for sustainable development via technical advice and capacity building. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries and employs approximately 17,000 staff worldwide. On behalf of the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ resumed its activities in Myanmar in 2012 in the area of sustainable economic development. Th e GIZ Private Sector Development Project (PSD) in Myanmar aims to strengthen capacities for sustainable private sector development with the focus on improved framework conditions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Myanmar. All parts of this atlas, from the single maps to the texts, have been created and written with the utmost diligence and care. However, the maps in particular are based on information and statistical data which sometimes may contain errors and uncertainties. Th ey refl ect and visualise the current state of knowledge. Any errors and shortcomings in data other than that provided to us by other institutions remain our own. In order to contribute to the further improvement of knowledge about the country and the current socio-economic transformation processes, we encourage the readers of the Atlas to notify and discuss with us any errors which may come to their attention. Th is atlas could not have been produced without the trustful and fruitful collaboration and constant support of countless dedicated individuals in numerous institutions in Myanmar and Germany. Th e authors are indebted to their many colleagues, department heads, offi cials, staff members and other individuals who, with great kindness and patience, provided information, data and advice, shared knowledge, experience and passion, and listened and encouraged over many years and in many areas of Myanmar. First and foremost, we would like to express our profound thanks to the Ministry of Construction, particularly the Department of Urban and Housing Development, and the University of Yangon under the Ministry of Education for their trust, confi dence and invaluable support over many years in which the Atlas gained shape. At the Ministry of Construction, H. E. the Minister of Construction, U Win Khaing, H. E. the former Minister of Construction, U Kyaw Lwin, Permanent Secretary U Kyaw Linn, Director General U Min Htein, former Deputy Director General U Win Myint and former Director U Win Zaw provided invaluable support for which we are sincerely grateful. Several staff members of the Ministry of Construction are co-authors of the Atlas, others contributed indirectly. In the Ministry of Education, we are deeply grateful to H. E. the Minister of Education, Professor Dr Myo Th ein Gyi, H. E. the former Minister of Education, Professor Dr Khin San Yee, H. E. Chairman of the National Education Policy Commission Professor Dr Myo Myint, H. E. and the former Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Dr Ba Shwe. We would like to thank the Rector of the University of Yangon, Professor Dr Pho Kaung, his predecessors Professor Dr Aung Th u, Professor Dr Tin Tun and Professor Dr Soe Yin, and Pro-Rectors Professor Dr Kyaw Naing and Professor Dr Omar Kyaw for their excellent personal support and strong encouragement. Several heads of the Department of Geography at the University of Yangon have done much to strengthen the growing collaboration since 1996. Th e members of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Urban and Regional Development at the University of Yangon, established in 2011 as research institution and think tank, were very supportive in respect to the generation of regional knowledge. Several members of various universities in Myanmar under the Ministry of Education are co-authors of this atlas, others contributed indirectly. We are sincerely grateful to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for the excellent collaboration and their generous fi nancial support for parts of the cartographic work and the publication of this atlas. Our thanks are also due to Irina Scheff mann, Cho Myat Nwe Tun and Dominik Weidert for the trustful cooperation and creative exchange over recent years. We also thank GIZ’s institutional partners, the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), especially Director General U Aung Naing Oo, Deputy Director General U San Myint, Director Dr Marlar Myo Nyunt, Assistant Director Daw Aye Aye and Deputy Staff Offi cer Daw Yin Yin Mar. We are most grateful to numerous ministries and departments which contributed valuable information and data for the generation of the maps, namely the former Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Cooperatives, Ministry of Electric Power, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Aff airs, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Ministry of Immigration and Population, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development, Ministry of Mines, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Rail Transportation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Social Welfare and Ministry of Transport. Our sincere thanks also go to the Nay Pyi Taw City Development Committee, Yangon City Development Committee and Mandalay City Development Committee, the Myanmar Computer Federation and Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA). Th e German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supported a two-year Visiting Professorship (2012-2014) and several short-term stays at the University of Yangon. Th e German Research Foundation generously supported the research project ‘Th e urban system of Myanmar in the transformation process’ (KR 1764/19-1) and provided a substitute professorship grant (2012-2014; KR 1764/23-1). Sincere thanks go to the Rectorate, the Faculty of Science and the Institute of Geography of the University of Cologne for their support. Sincere thanks are due to all our co-authors and contributors to the atlas, namely YCDC Secretary Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, Pro-Rector Professor Dr Aung Kyaw, Pro-Rector (retir.) Professor Dr Win Maung, Deputy Director General Professor Dr Nay Win Oo, Deputy Director General U Myint Naing, Director Dr Th an Th an Th we, Professor Dr Htun Ko, Professor Dr Khin Khin Han, Professor Dr Nilar Aung, Associate Professor Dr Khin Khin Soe, Associate Professor Dr Saw Yu May, Associate Professor Dr Zin Nwe Myint and Dr Zin Mar Th an, for their commitment to the book’s joint endeavour, namely to provide an up-to-date overview of a rapidly evolving development process. We owe special thanks to Stefanie Naumann for the excellent layout and Christopher Hay, Ulli Huber, Dr Edel Sheridan-Quantz and Katharine Th omas for the thorough translation and English correction. Finally, we would like to thank our families and friends in Myanmar and Germany for sharing their love and passion and for strengthening the bridge between our cultures. Th is book is dedicated to our teacher, friend and sister Sayama Gyi Professor Dr Mi Mi Kyi, without whom none of this would have been possible..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Franz Steiner Verlag
2017-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 27.31 MB (190 Pages) - Original version
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Description: "Measuring Economic Governance for Private Sector Development The Economic Governance Index (EGI) is a tool that has become widely accepted by governments to understand economic growth, attract investors, and engage in public-private sector dialogue. The Myanmar Business Environment Index (MBEI) follows in this tradition by adapting the EGI model to the Myanmar context. The MBEI is designed to provide Union and state/region government leaders, as well as stakeholders such as business managers, with a tool to understand and address the challenges Myanmar businesses face, and thereby encourage sustainable and inclusive economic growth..."
Creator/author: Edmund Malesky, Dean Dulay, "Pyinsa Yupa"
Source/publisher: The Asia Foundation
2019-05-06
Date of entry/update: 2019-05-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 5.22 MB
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Description: "...The realities that will define Myanmar?s political economy in the medium-term future seem to be coming into focus. For foreign firms and governments and international organizations that take Southeast Asia seriously, whose understanding of the region transcends the level that one associates with, say, the leadership of American chambers of commerce in Southeast Asian capitals or the pampered, parochial globalists-in-their-own-minds who staff the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, this is good news. ... The high Cold War in Southeast Asia is long over. But the country is beginning to present what look like familiar, even generic, contours of post-Cold War Southeast Asian political economies. It is worth tracing some eight of these contours..."
Creator/author: Myaungmya Aung Myint Myat (plus comments)
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2012-07-02
Date of entry/update: 2012-07-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...the resumption of ODA flows, even if they were to come in substantial amounts, might not by themselves, help to improve the welfare of the ordinary people of Myanmar – particularly welfare of the large majority of poor people at the bottom of the income scale..."
Source/publisher: WORKSHOP ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Traders Hotel, Yangon
2012-03-01
Date of entry/update: 2012-03-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 116.45 KB
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Description: INTRODUCTION: "When Myanmar (then known as Burma) attained its independence in 1948, international agencies identified it as one of the most promising regional candidates for economic take off. Its modern technical and university education system, high rate of literacy, well trained civil service and a cadre of educated middle class, basic infrastructure, and a well run legal system were considered as good ingredients for Myanmar?s expected take off. In the 1950s, Myanmar?s gross domestic product (GDP) was growing consistently at an annual average rate of over 4 per cent, in contrast with the chequered performance of its neighbours. In the early 1960s, the country was poised for labour intensive industrialization with a number of textile and consumer product firms manufacturing export quality goods. Then came the putsch and the socialist revolution, followed by stagnation and decline. Twenty six years passed before Myanmar finally erupted and the change to market economy was forcibly brought in. Myanmar is now in the throes of the struggle for modernization and change. With the military still holding on to the reins of power on the one hand and the contending democratic opposition and the ethnic groups with diverse claims and interests on the other, Myanmar has not come out of its pains of growing up, to meet the challenges of the outside world. This paper will review significant developments and changes in 1993 and re examine the complex of situations influencing its sluggish economic performance and the equally slow rate of political transformation. Myanmar?s problems and prospects for long term development and modernization are also analysed."
Creator/author: Khin Maung Kyi
Source/publisher: "Southeast Asian Affairs" 1994,
1993-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-01-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 215.33 KB
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Description: "..The objective of this report is to help the policy makers with an analysis of the international sanctions effect and to try to explain the real current economic and social conditions, impact on and Burma?s urgent need to combat poverty. Moreover, also try to present the relationship between macro economic situation such as economic growth, foreign trade, state budget, inflation, employment, wages and the conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity in Burma. In addition, to explain how the Burmese generals and their crony drug lords exploit the Burmese economy, and how the Burmese military has become the sole beneficiary of foreign direct investment by setting up its own industries separately from the state enterprises since 1988. And also would like to explain the impact on the military?s confiscation of land, labor, crops and capital assets or militarization on the whole economy..."
Creator/author: Sein Htay
Source/publisher: Federation of Trade Unions-Burma (FTUB)
2002-05-06
Date of entry/update: 2011-12-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.28 MB
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Description: A number of papers in English and Burmese on the Irrawaddy hydro projects. In a day or so there will be a neater and lighter version, with some details of the Burmese and English contents အမှတ် (၁) လျှပ်စစ်စွမ်းအားဝန်ကြီးဌာန-Minister for Electric Power No (1)... ပညာရပ်ဆိုင်ရာ အလုပ်ရုံဆွေးနွေးပွဲ (၃/ ၂၀၁၁) ... ၂၀၁၁ ခုနှစ် စက်တင်ဘာလ (၁၇) ရက် ... ဧရာဝတီမြစ်ဝှမ်း ရေအားလျှပ်စစ် စီမံကိန်း များကြောင့် ဧရာဝတီမြစ်နှင့် သဘာဝပတ်ဝန်းကျင် အပေါ် သက်ရောက်မှု အလုပ်ရုံဆွေးနွေးပွဲ... ၃/ ၂၀၁၁ အလုပ်ရုံ ဆွေးနွေးပွဲ ဖွင့်လှစ်ကြောင်း ကြေငြာခြင်း... အမှတ်(၁) လျှပ်စစ်စွမ်းအားဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီးမှ အဖွင့် အမှာစကား ပြောကြားခြင်း... BANCA ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ ဒေါက်တာထင်လှ မှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... CPIYN President Mr. Li Guanghua မှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း ... ရေအားလျှပ်စစ်စီမံရေး ဦးစီးဌာန၊ ညွှန်ကြားရေးမှူးချုပ်၊ ဦးကြီးစိုးမှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... ကောင်းကျော်စေ ကုမ္ပဏီမှ Chairman/ CEO ဦးထွန်းနိုင်အောင်မှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... ပတ်ဝန်းကျင်ထိန်းသိမ်းရေးနှင့် သစ်တောဝန်ကြီးဌာန ညွှန်ကြားရေးမှူး၊ ဦးလှမောင်သိန်မှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း ... ပို့ဆောင်ရေးဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ညွှန်ကြားရေးမှူး ဦးကိုကိုမှ ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း ... ပတ်ဝန်းကျင်ထိမ်းသိမ်းရေးနှင့် သစ်တောရေးရာ ဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စု ဝန်ကြီးမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... ပိုဆောင်ရေးဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီး မှ အကြံပြု ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... သတ္တုတွင်းဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီးမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... လယ်ယာစိုက်ပျိုးရေးနှင့် ဆည်မြောင်းဝန်ကြီးဌာန ပြည်ထောင်စု ဒုတိယဝန်ကြီးမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... အမှတ်(၂) လျှပ်စစ် စွမ်းအားဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စု ဒုတိယဝန်ကြီးမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... ပညာရှင်များနှင့် လွှတ်တော်ကိုယ်စားလှယ်များမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... စာနယ်ဇင်းများမှ မေးမြန်းခြင်းနှင့်ဖြေကြားခြင်း... မြန်မာနိုင်ငံရင်းနှီးမြှပ်နှံမှုကော်မရှင်၊ ဥက္ကဋ္ဌမှ အကြံပြုဆွေးနွေးခြင်း... အမှတ်(၁) လျှပ်စစ်စွမ်းအားဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီး မှ နိဂုံးချုပ်အမှာစကားပြောကြားခြင်း ...
Source/publisher: Government of the Union of Myanmar: Ministry for Electric Power No (1); အမှတ် (၁) လျှပ်စစ်စွမ်းအားဝန်ကြီးဌာန
2011-09-17
Date of entry/update: 2011-10-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), English
Format : pdf
Size: 11.49 MB
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Description: Advising Burma?s generals on how to run the country?s economy is a risky business... "During a rare economic forum held [in Rangoon?] in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in December, U Myint, a retired economics professor at the Rangoon Institute of Economics, unveiled a few economic reform proposals. Two Rangoon farmers chat in their feld after harvesting rice. About half of Burma?s GDP comes from agriculture. (Photo: AFP) In a follow-up to this gathering, which was attended by former World Bank chief economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, U Myint, who has also served as an economic adviser to ESCAP, held a press briefing at the Myanmar Egress Capacity Development Center in Rangoon on Jan. 9. In a press statement, U Myint recalled that someone at the earlier conference expressed the view that the only people worth talking to in Burma are the generals, but the generals are poor listeners, so it was a waste of time talking to them because nothing useful will result..."
Creator/author: Htet Aung
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 2
2010-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-02-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Revised and updated version of a paper presented to the Myanmar/ Burma Studies Conference, Singapore, 13–15 July 2006..... Contents: Introduction... GDP Growth Rate... Structure of GDP... Per Capita GDP and the Question of Catching-Up... Pattern of Household Consumption Expenditure... Export Commodities... Inflation... The Exchange Rate... Rethinking Policy and Implications for Regional Integration... Concluding Remarks... Appendix... About the Author.....Introduction1 Building a modern developed nation A stated objective of Myanmar is to become a modern developed nation that will stand shoulder to shoulder – proud, dignified and tall – with the countries of the world. How far has Myanmar come in achieving this goal, viewed from an economic perspective?2 Where does it stand at present in relation to other nations, and especially those in the Asian region? This paper attempts to provide some thoughts along these lines by looking at Myanmar?s official data on: • Rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) • GDP growth in relation to gross domestic investment (GDI) • Structure of GDP • Level of per capita GDP • Pattern of household consumption expenditure • Commodity composition of exports • Inflation rate • Exchange rate
Creator/author: U Myint
Source/publisher: Institute for Security and Development Policy (Sweden)
2009-12-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-02-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "According to official figures, Myanmar has achieved double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates every year for the six years from 2000 to 2005. These figures have proved controversial. A related and another contentious issue regarding Myanmar?s economic performance in the same period is that high real GDP growth rates have been achieved with comparatively low gross domestic investment (GDI) to GDP ratios. In order to gain a proper perspective on these issues, one approach is to use cross-sectional data for a particular period to obtain a comparative view of Myanmar?s performance vis-a-vis the performance of its neighbours in the same period. The comparative approach has been adopted frequently and has been useful in analysing developments in Myanmar?s economic and social situation through the years. Myanmar has, however, a rich tradition of data collection and analysis. National accounts data, for example, go as far back as 1948, when the country gained independence, and even beyond. In addition to cross-sectional analysis, therefore, the available time-series data could be used to review Myanmar?s recent economic performance, as reflected in official data of the country?s past experience. Such a brief review is attempted in this chapter with specific attention devoted to real GDP growth and GDI..."
Creator/author: U Myint
Source/publisher: 2007 Myanmar/Burma Update Conference via Australian National University
2008-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2008-12-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Executive Summary: The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military junta claimed a 12.2 % growth in the Burmese economy in 2006 but international sources say differently; they forecast a slim growth of 2 to 3 % rise. Production and exploration in the oil and gas sector is active, but the rest of economy remains weak. Agriculture suffers from poor productivity, with output below potential. Manufacturing is constrained by inadequate quantity and quality of inputs, due to problems of imports and power shortages. Weak Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth reflects poor prospects for consumption and investment. In October 2005, the SPDC increased eight folds the state-subsidized petrol prices. This prompted higher prices for basic commodities. Inflation returned to double digit rates. Monetary policy has not addressed the inflationary pressures. Interest rates remain unchanged since 2001, despite high inflation. But the SPDC increased the interest rates by two per cent points to 12 per cent on 16 April 2006. Real rates are likely to be negative. Prices for important commodities soared in the wake of junta?s decision to raise public-sector salaries in April 2006. Rice and fuel prices remain high. Official data do not reveal the full extent of inflation reaching 14.3 % in December 2005 and 11 % in early 2006. Based on the official data series, the Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU) estimates the annual inflation to average over 21 % in 2006.The true rate of inflation could be 50 %. Strong growth in both narrow money supply (M1) and quasi-money (comprising time, savings and foreign exchange deposits) contributed to a 26.8 % year-on-year expansion in broad money supply (M2) at the end of May 2006. The junta demands credit from the Central Bank, which it uses to fund its budget deficit. Total outstanding credit of the junta was 2.5 trillion kyat (nearly US$440 billion at the official exchange rate, or US$1.9 billion at the free-market exchange rate) by May 2006, an increase of 28 %. The state budget remained unbalanced with substantial deficits during much of the 1990s. Fiscal deficits are financed automatically by credit from the Central Bank, a source of domestic inflation and instability in the economy. The Junta?s state expenditures are disproportionately allocated on items that deny sustainable development of the people or the nation. Defense, ceremonies and rituals, festivals, inspection tours, meetings and seminars, building physical infrastructure-roads, railways, bridges, dams, monuments, museums, shiny office complexes and fancy airports, represent wasteful consumption or constitute expensive capital outlays, undertaken without proper feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments, and unclear, uncertain and dubious returns on investment. Chronic state budget deficits contribute to rapid monetary growth and everspiraling inflation. In order to recover the budget deficit, the junta-increased taxes and collected money and forced people to labor for developmental projects such as construction of roads, dams, and bridges. The junta continues to control, command, and centralize Burma?s people and the economy. Exchange rate distortions favor a few at the expense of many. Fiscal deficit comes at the expense of social spending which has been reduced far below necessary levels. At the same time, financing the fiscal deficit through central bank credit is one underlying factor of persistent high inflation. The nation?s tax revenue remains buoyant, rising by 28.1 % year on year in nominal terms in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2005/06 (April-March). Total tax revenue reached 292 billion kyat during this period (around US$50 billion at the inflated official exchange rate, or US$225 million at free-market exchange rate). Although revenue is still rising, growth has slowed since 2004/05, when revenue expanded by 77 % year on year for the whole fiscal year. This in part reflects a correction after an increase in average import tariffs, imposed in mid-2004, brought a 424 % year-on-year surge in customs tax fell by 15.1 per cent year on year to 16.2 billion kyat. A clamp-down on corruption among customs officials in recent months may be part of an effort to boost revenue from customs tax. Other sources of tax revenue expanded in the first 11 months of 2005/06. Profit tax jumped by 49 per cent year on year, slightly ahead of commodities and services tax (which rose by 47 per cent) and income tax (11 per cent)1. 2 Total public-sector deficit reached 6 % of GDP for 2004/05. Heavy losses by the state-owned enterprises (SOE) typically accounted for over 60 % of the overall deficit. The SPDC?s fiscal position is also weighted down by high off-budget spending on the country?s huge armed forces. The budget position is unlikely to have improved in 2005/06 and 2006/07 (the current fiscal year), owing to the junta?s expansionary fiscal policy. The junta?s decision to relocate many government offices to a huge new administrative complex at Naypyidaw, 320 km north of Rangoon, imposed heavy costs. In addition, in April 2006 the junta raised salaries for around 1 million civil servants and military officers by between 500 and 1,200 per cent. The black market is estimated to be as big if not bigger than the official economy. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade. Burma?s trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism. No new foreign direct investment projects have been approved in recent months. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approvals totaled a meager US$35.7 million for the first 11 months of 2005/06, down from US$158.3 million for the whole of 2004/05. It is possible that the data do not capture some small FDI flows, such as those by Thai and Chinese firms in small projects along the border with Burma. International tourist arrivals totaled 320,275 in 2005, up by 5 % year on year, according to data from the Central Statistical Organization (CSO). Although arrivals rose, the pace of growth slowed compared with 2004 (rose 11.6 per cent). The slowdown reflected a 5.6 % year on year drop in arrivals by air, to 145,959, around 46 % total arrivals. Total international reserves reached US$951 million at the end of June 2006, according to data from the IMF. Reserves increased sharply in the first quarter of the year, surpassing US$900 million for the first time, before rising further in the second quarter. The main reason for the improvement in the overall balance-of-payments position and international reserves has been the rise in exports, which have been driven by strong growth in exports of natural gas. The official kyat exchange rate remains artificially inflated. The exchange rate like the rest of the junta system does not reflect the reality of the monetary system. The free-market exchange rate of kyat to US$ was 1,350:US$1 in July-October 2006, having recovered from kyat 1,450:US$1 at the end of April, which also put pressure on prices. There has been a mild appreciation of the kyat since then. The ratio of the parallel rate to the official rate is nearly 200:1. The kyat came under pressure earlier this year owing to fears that a pay rise for civil servants would sharply push up prices. However, strong gas exports have boosted international reserves, thereby helping the kyat to stabilize. The little-used official exchange rate is fixed against the International Monetary Fund?s (IMF) special drawing rights (SDR) unit. The official rate held steady at around kyat 5.9:US$1 by August 2006.
Creator/author: Sein Htay
Source/publisher: Burma Fund (NCGUB)
2007-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2007-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.55 MB
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Description: "...Together with the excessive crimes against human rights taking place in Burma, the economic underdevelopment is a matter of concern to political leaders and professional economists everywhere. It is, of course, of particular concern to the Burmese people themselves, both those who live in the country, and those who have travelled to other parts of the world. Therefore, it is a matter of great importance to analyse the main factors which have stood in the way of Burma?s participation in the world-wide surge of economic growth in the past half a century, and even more importantly, to devise ways in which the country can overcome these obstacles and achieve a higher rate of economic development. It is towards this objective that the present report makes an important contribution. It is in fact a study undertaken by Burmese scholars themselves. Hence they have brought to this study their own rich and personal knowledge of the problems of the country and the possibilities that lie ahead. Additionally, most of the scholars who have undertaken the present study have in fact travelled widely and achieved high professional recognition as development specialists in the leading universities of the world. They are thus able to combine their intimate knowledge of the country with the latest advances in economic science in order to give us some deep insights about the best ways to advance the future development of Burma. What follows is not a plan for economic development as it is commonly understood. In that sense, a plan consists of definite targets to be achieved, schedules for the implementation of various programmes, the mobilisation of adequate resources for the purpose, and schemes for the appraisal and control of the results. But planning in this sense is not something which can be efficiently undertaken by a small group of scholars who are not in active collaboration with those responsible for the implementation of plans. This is particularly the case with those scholars who have been away from the country in recent years. However, what such a group of Burmese scholars can do, and have done in this study, is to think through the problems of developing the country in the long run, taking into account Burma?s own historical experience, the changes which are taking place in the outside world, and to investigate the likely scenarios or trends for the future, and thus come up with a vision of what to aim for and an approach and sense of direction for the long term development of Burma. This will give political leaders, both those inside the country who are responsible for designing and carrying out its policies, and those in donor countries abroad who can assist this effort by the scale of their financial and technical assistance. Such strategic studies have been undertaken in countries as far apart as the United States on the one hand, and Chile on the other. Nearer home, such studies have been used by the governments of Singapore and Malaysia as the basis of their more specific policies. It is in this sense that the present study will serve as a useful basis for further thought and discussion by all concerned with the future welfare of the people of Burma. A welfare that can take place nor survive without political changes in the country..."...Overview and Policy Framework; Agriculture; Industry; Natural Resources and Environment; International Trade and Investment; The Monetary and Fiscal Framework for Macroeconomic Stability; Poverty and Income Distribution; Education; Infrastructure; Institutions; Priorities and Problems of Implementation; Conclusion
Creator/author: Khin Maung Kyi, Ronald Findlay, R.M. Sundrum, Mya Maung, Myo Nyunt, Zaw Oo, et al.
Source/publisher: The Olof Palme International Center
2000-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2005-04-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.63 MB 1.74 MB
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Description: "Myanmar?s economic reforms are constrained by the domestic political situation... This paper explores Myanmar?s political and economic background in the context of stalled reforms. It finds that Myanmar?s economic development is constrained by the domestic political situation, which has in turn been linked to sanctions on trade, investment and aid imposed by Western Europe and the United States. The paper states that further reforms are still required, as the previous round of reforms failed to redress problems such as: * High inflation * Persistent fiscal deficit * Widening trade deficit * Chronic foreign exchange shortage * A drastic fall in foreign investment * Inefficient state economic enterprises (SEEs) * Low value-added production... The paper notes: * The current military government is endeavouring to institute a new political order, while at the same time attempting a smooth transition from a closed to an open market economy. * The fundamental premise is that these broad political and economic reforms should not compromise the three principal main national causes including national sovereignty... The paper concludes: * Conflict between the NLD and the government and the resulting political impasse is the main obstacle for further reforms. * The realization of Myanmars reforms will depend on whether the government and the opposition can be reconciled..."
Creator/author: Tin Maung Maung Than
Source/publisher: Institute for South-East Asian Studies (ISEAS) via Eldis
2000-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 79.87 KB
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