Economy: general, analytical, statistical (various sources)

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Source/publisher: Various sources via "BurmaNet News"
Date of entry/update: 2012-04-17
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Business/economy Articles from July 2009
Source/publisher: "The Myanmar Times"
Date of entry/update: 2013-01-09
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: About 26,700 results (August 2017)
Source/publisher: Various sources via Youtube
Date of entry/update: 2017-08-20
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Description: Collection of videos on economics
Source/publisher: Youtube
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-01
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Burma Day 2005 - Selected Documents... Supporting Burma/Myanmar?s National Reconciliation Process - Challenges and Opportunities... Brussels, Tuesday 5th April 2005... Most of the papers and reports focus on the "Independent Report" written for the conference by Robert Taylor and Morten Pedersen. They range from macroeconomic critique to historical and procedural comment.
Source/publisher: European Commission
Date of entry/update: 2005-04-06
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Many/most of the links to US and other reports on Burma?s economy are out of date (latest, 1999), but some may still be useful.
Source/publisher: Burma Fund
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Important and substantial site - Many useful reports on Myanmar?s economy, including governance, agriculture etc. ...Chief of the Board of Directors, U Myint... "The Centre for Economic and Social Development (CESD) is Myanmar?s leading think tank supporting evidence-based policy making.... CESD undertakes public policy research across the following areas: macroeconomic reform, labour and social policy, food security and rural development, and governance.... CESD is also the Coordinator of the Leading Authority overseeing the Myanmar Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (MEITI). Please visit the MEITI website, myanmareiti.org to learn more about the MEITI objectives, program of work and key deliverables.... CESD partners with the Comprehensive Development Education Centre (CDEC), an organisation providing education and training services for youth and people working in development. CDEC?s mission is to ?provide capacity building and enrich the existing knowledge and skills of civil society organisations, staff at non-government organisations, and youth, in order to facilitate community empowerment and participation in community development and nation building.”... CESD also provides training and education services for institutions and organizations contributing to the on-going process of reform. Highlights of CESD?s training and education services are accessible via the Events link above and have included: training in leadership and public sector reform for Permanent Secretaries, a trade negotiation capacity building workshop for civil servants, public revenue model training for Internal Revenue Department staff, and value chain analysis training to support rural development.... Vision, mission, goal and objectives Vision: To contribute to Myanmar?s transformation towards a democratic, developed and dignified society.... Mission: To support key stakeholders who are committed to the transformation of Myanmar: to become a modern developed nation that meets the aspirations of its people for a better life; and to achieve greater integration with the international community where Myanmar?s cooperation and support can be counted upon in meeting the regional and global problems of the 21st century.... Strategic goal: To facilitate the process of sustained and participatory reforms in Myanmar so that the country achieves: Complete liberalization; and Comprehensive development during transition.... Objectives: to play a central role in supporting economic reform, poverty-reduction and good governance; to receive feedback on progress of reforms and to review and inform the on-going policy execution; to implement special programs and projects critical to the success of reforms, supplementing legitimacy deficits, weak organizations or poor capacities of public institutions; to provide training and education services for all key institutions and organizations that contribute to the process of reform; to offer innovative solutions to overcome binding constraints to the transition..."
Source/publisher: CESD - CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (MYANMAR)
Date of entry/update: 2016-01-30
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Description: "Economic Reforms in Myanmar: Pathways and Prospects" pdf (47KB) / Hank LIM, Yasuhiro YAMADA... Chapter 1 "Myanmar?s Two Decades of Halfway Transition to a Market Economy: A Negative Legacy for the New Government" pdf (274KB) / Koji KUBO... Chapter 2 "New Government?s Initiatives for Industrial Development in Myanmar" pdf (590KB) / Aung Min, Toshihiro KUDO... Chapter 3 "Attracting FDI: Experiences of East Asian Countries" pdf (260KB) / Masami ISHIDA... Chapter 4 "Experiences of Vietnam in FDI Promotion: Some Lessons for Myanmar" pdf (1.33MB) / Thanh Tri VO, Duong Anh NGUYEN... Chapter 5 "Rice Policies in Myanmar: A Comparative Analysis with Vietnam" pdf (303KB) / Koji KUBO... Chapter 6 "Myanmar Migrants to Thailand: Economic Analysis and Implications to Myanmar Development" pdf (548KB) / Supang CHANTAVANICH, Premjai VUNGSIRIPHISAL... Chapter 7 "Development of Payment and Settlement System" pdf (113KB) / Khin Thida Maw... Chapter 8 "Building the ASEAN Economic Community: Challenges and Opportunities for Myanmar" pdf (476KB) / So UMEZAKI
Creator/author: HANK LIM and YASUHIRO YAMADA (editors)
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No.10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-24
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Source/publisher: wikipedia
Date of entry/update: 2013-12-22
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
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Description: The Economy of Burma (Myanmar) is one of the least developed in the world, suffering from decades of stagnation, mismanagement, and isolation. Burma?s GDP stands at $42.953 billion and grows at an average rate of 2.9% annually – the lowest rate of economic growth in the Greater Mekong Subregion.[2] Among others, the EU, United States and Canada have imposed economic sanctions on Burma. Historically, Burma was the main trade route between India and China since 100 BC. The Mon Kingdom of lower Burma served as important trading center in the Bay of Bengal. After Burma was conquered by British, it became the wealthiest country in Southeast Asia. It was also once the world?s largest exporter of rice. It produced 75% of the world?s teak and had a highly literate population. After a parliamentary government was formed in 1948, Prime Minister U Nu embarked upon a policy of nationalization. The government also tried to implement a poorly thought out Eight-Year plan. By the 1950s, rice exports had fallen by two thirds and mineral exports by over 96%. The 1962 coup d??tat was followed by an economic scheme called the Burmese Way to Socialism, a plan to nationalize all industries. The catastrophic program turned Burma into one of the world?s most impoverished countries. In 2011, when new President Thein Sein?s government came to power, Burma embarked on a major policy of reforms including anti-corruption, currency exchange rate, foreign investment laws and taxation. Foreign investments increased from US$300 million in 2009-10 to a US$20 billion in 2010-11 by about 667%.[6] Large inflow of capital results in stronger Burmese currency, kyat by about 25%. In response, the government relaxes import restrictions and abolishes export taxes. Despite current currency problems, Burmese economy is expected to grow by about 8.8% in 2011.[7] After the completion of 58-billion dollar Dawei deep seaport, Burma is expected be at the hub of trade connecting Southeast Asia and the South China Sea, via the Andaman Sea, to the Indian Ocean receiving goods from countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, and spurring growth in the ASEAN region..."...Contents: 1 History: 1.1 Pre-colonial era; 1.2 Colonial era (1885 - 1948); 1.3 Independence; 1.4 Military rule (1988 - 2011); 1.5 Economic liberalization (2011-present)... 2 Industries: 2.1 Garment production; 2.2 Illegal drug trade; 2.3 Oil and gas; 2.4 Gemstones; 2.5 Tourism... 3 External trade... 4 Macro-economic trend... 5 Humanitarian aid... 6 Other statistics... 7 Impact on population... 8 See also... 9 Footnotes... 10 External links.
Source/publisher: Wikipedia
Date of entry/update: 2012-08-15
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Material back to 2005.
Source/publisher: IDE - Institute of Developing Economies; Jetro - Japan External Trade Organiszation
Date of entry/update: 2018-04-06
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
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Description: Search for Myanmar - more than 100 items, mainly on the economy
Source/publisher: IDE- Institute of Developing Economies / JETRO - Japan External Trade Organization
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Creator/author: Joseph Siglitz
Source/publisher: Youtube
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-01
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: 22 articles from 2006 (titles, authors, abstracts and links to full texts) - 13 on Vietnam, 7 on Burma/Myanmar: Yangon?s Development Challenges - Jos? A. G?mez-Ib??ez and Nguyễn Xu?n Th?nh, March 2012 ...The Exchange Rate in Myanmar: An Update to January 2012 - David Dapice, January 2012 ...Appraising the Post-Sanctions Prospects for Myanmar?s Economy: Choosing the Right Path - David O. Dapice, Michael J. Montesano, Anthony J. Saich, Thomas J. Vallely, January 2012...Myanmar Agriculture in 2011: Old Problems and New Challenges - David O. Dapice, Malcolm McPherson, Michael J. Montesano, Thomas J. Vallely, and Ben Wilkinson, November 2011...The Myanmar Exchange Rate: A Barrier to National Strength - David O. Dapice, Malcolm McPherson, Michael J. Montesano, Thomas J. Vallely, and Ben Wilkinson, June 2011...Revitalizing Agriculture in Myanmar: Breaking Down Barriers, Building a Framework for Growth - David O. Dapice, Mike Montesano, Thomas J. Vallely, and Ben Wilkinson, July 2010...Assessment of the Myanmar Agricultural Economy - Vietnam Program, March 2009...
Source/publisher: Ash Center, for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University
Date of entry/update: 2012-07-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...Myanmar, like the entire world, is facing not only an unprecedented health crisis, but an unprecedented economic crisis as well. Myanmar's economy has already been severely hit by disruptions in global trade and tourism. Thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of people - including migrant workers - are already suffering the consequences. With the spread of the coronavirus and necessary lockdowns the situation could become ten times worse.We can take strong measures to stop the spread of the virus and at the same time not only save the economy but strengthen it for the future..."
Creator/author: Thant Myint-U
Source/publisher: Mizzima
2020-04-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-04
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
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Description: Useful material: 1. Business and Investment News... 2. Basic Documentation on Trade and Investment in Myanmar... 3. Trade and Investment Data and Statistics
Source/publisher: Network Myanmar
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: More than 100 useful articles and reports from various sources -- academic, Myanmar Union Government, intergovernmental agencies, media etc.
Source/publisher: Network Myanmar
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, (at least 1 Burmese item)
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Description: Publications on "Shaping economic processes" Business and Human rights Position Paper on Business and Human Rights (2013) (pdf, 830 KB)... - Expectations of a German Action Plan This publication is also available in German (pdf, 850 KB)... Economic growth and development Economic growth and development (pdf, 150 KB) Changing course to ensure a better life for all Memo drafted by the MISEREOR focus group ?Economic growth and development? This publication is also available in Spanish (pdf, 140 KB)... Financial transactions Position paper "International taxes on financial transactions" (pdf, 144 KB) responding to global challenges - towards a fairer sharing of costs
Source/publisher: Misereor
Date of entry/update: 2014-03-25
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, German, Spanish
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Description: 277 results (June 2014). The results are not inchronological order.
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO
Date of entry/update: 2014-06-16
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Japanese
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Description: Important economic analyses of Burma
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
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Description: "Executive Summary Since the beginning of 2022, Myanmar’s economy has faced a series of external and domestic shocks. The war in Ukraine has caused steep increases in global prices of fuel and fertilizer, which have passed through to a broader range of goods and services. This has led to a sharp rise in input costs across all industries, and fueled inflation which in turn further strained real household incomes. Domestic electricity shortages have also impacted households and businesses across the country. The security environment has deteriorated further in northern and southern regions, while Chin and the Dry Zone remain embroiled in severe conflict. This has disrupted economic activity, with one fifth of all firms (and two fifths of all agricultural firms) surveyed by the World Bank in May 2022 indicating that conflict was the most important challenge to their operations. Notwithstanding these shocks, some parts of the economy have stabilized and even recovered somewhat since late 2021, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of Myanmar’s businesses. Firms have reported operating at higher capacity in 2022 than in 2021, particularly in the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index reached neutral levels in the first half of 2022, after a long period of contraction. Garment manufacturers – mainly reliant on external demand –seem to have recovered relatively strongly, as demonstrated by the ongoing expansion in manufactured exports since mid-2021. Construction activity has also picked up as work on several projects has restarted after a long pause last year. This improvement in economic activity has been supported by a rise in mobility, with workplace mobility returning to pre-pandemic levels in June after substantial dips in 2021. The fourth wave of COVID-19 transmissions was much less severe than expected in January, with the number of recorded cases (and the severity of those cases) significantly lower than during the third wave in mid-2021. But activity in other industries and services remains weak, as declining real household incomes have weighed on domestic demand. Despite the recovery in mobility at retail and transport venues, World Bank household survey results from April 2022 suggest that real consumption – particularly of discretionary nonfood items – had declined from a year earlier. Household survey results indicate that job losses, reduced work hours and lower wages and incomes from household farms and businesses have all contributed to a reduction in nominal household incomes. Real household incomes were further eroded by sharply rising inflation, with the latest available data indicating that CPI inflation accelerated to 17.3 percent (yoy) in March, driven by sharp increases in the prices of food and fuel. The weakness in private consumption was corroborated by the May 2022 firm survey results, which indicated that retail and wholesale firms’ sales had fallen by more than a quarter from a year earlier. Rising costs have affected the operations of all businesses, squeezing profit margins. Increases in global oil prices – exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict – have driven pronounced increases in domestic fuel prices and transport costs, as well as in the cost of running diesel generators to compensate for recurring electricity outages. Over the first half of 2022, the local price of fuel rose by around 70 percent. Kyat depreciation, supply chain disruptions and the spillover effects of higher transport prices have resulted in price increases for a broader range of imported inputs, squeezing already thin profit margins. Increases in the price of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs have prompted a reduction in their use, with negative implications for future crop yields. Despite a narrowed current account deficit, external balance of payment pressures have become acute. The current account deficit narrowed in the year ended September 2021, due to a narrower goods trade deficit (with imports contracting by more than exports in FY2021), sharply lower travel and other services receipts, and a 30 percent decline in recorded overseas remittances. But there were more pronounced pressures on the financial account, with foreign direct investment down by about two thirds from the previous year, substantial outflows of foreign currency deposits, and sharp declines in other net financing flows through the year. Together these resulted in a recorded reduction in foreign exchange reserves of close to US$ 1 billion in the September quarter 2021. To the extent that these trends have continued, it is plausible that foreign exchange reserves have fallen to insufficient levels as at mid-2022 (with some reserves also inaccessible due to foreign sanctions). More recent data indicates that the US dollar value of goods imports has increased by more than goods exports in the first half of 2022, driven largely by rising imports of intermediate inputs, while FDI commitments remained very weak. This implies that neither net trade flows nor FDI flows have provided additional support to the balance of payments this year. External pressures have been compounded by reversals of previous policy reforms. Undoing previous gains in macro-economic management, the authorities abandoned the managed float exchange rate regime, fixing the official reference exchange rate at an overvalued level not reflective of market supply and demand. In a bid to stem foreign exchange pressures the authorities also imposed foreign exchange restrictions. This has led to shortages of US dollars and a growing spread between official and parallel market rates (which had reached around 20 percent as at mid-July). In combination with onerous import license requirements, these foreign exchange restrictions have led to particularly significant impacts on the domestic supply of fuel, resulting in shortages and the emergence of a parallel fuel market to circumvent the authorities’ efforts to impose price controls. Meanwhile, the imposition of kyat conversion and surrender requirements on foreign exchange earnings (and deposits) has effectively acted as a tax on exporters, with signs that the external price competitiveness of agricultural exports has been adversely affected since these measures were imposed in April. A recent central bank direction requiring banks to facilitate the temporary suspension of foreign loan repayments is intended to ease external liquidity pressures, but if implemented will likely reduce the creditworthiness and market access of Myanmar’s corporate and financial sectors. While cash liquidity constraints appear to be easing, weak financial sector balance sheets are constraining credit growth. Discussions with industry representatives indicate that non-performing loan and delinquency rates are high, having continued to rise since the start of the pandemic in 2020, with banks providing relief and rescheduling repayments on a customer-by-customer basis. Ongoing declines in asset quality have in turn prompted a cautious approach to new lending. While withdrawal limits remain in place, it has become easier to obtain kyat from ATMs and bank branches, in part due to a recovery in bank deposits. The fiscal position has deteriorated, accompanied by shift of public spending away from critical public services. Tax collection declined from 6.5 percent of GDP in FY2020 to 4.9 percent of GDP in FY2021. Losses in large energy State Economic Enterprises (SEEs) have also contributed to an overall decline in revenue (in nominal kyat terms) of almost 30 percent. The fiscal deficit rose to around 9 percent of GDP in FY2021, with spending also falling – due to weak budget execution – but by less than the decline in revenue. Given reductions in other financing sources, there has been a return to reliance on central bank financing, in another sign of reversal of previous macro-fiscal reforms. Despite the critical importance of health, education, and social protection for livelihoods and human capital accumulation, public spending on these services has declined and budget allocations to these sectors have been sharply curtailed. The impacts of COVID-19 and the aftermath of the military coup are estimated to have erased nearly a decade of poverty reduction progress. Estimates based on the latest available data indicate that poverty has doubled compared with its level in March 2020, with about 40 percent of the population now living below the national poverty line in 2022, matching levels of poverty a decade ago. Inequality is estimated to have worsened, with those already poor falling into deeper destitution. Moreover, household survey data indicate a movement of labor away from service industries and into agriculture over the past 18 months, as internal migration from cities to rural areas has been used as a coping mechanism to deal with job loss. However, this shift to lower productivity agriculture implies an overall decline in labor productivity, which in turn has dampened household incomes. Lower household incomes in conjunction with higher food and fuel prices and ongoing credit/liquidity constraints have magnified risks of food insecurity, though these risks may have been at least partially offset by a pick-up in subsistence production. Household surveys indicate that coping mechanisms are under increasing strain, with over half of all households reporting cuts to non-food consumption, and significant proportions across the income distribution reporting cuts to food consumption, borrowing from friends and family, and sales of assets. While livelihoods have come under increased stress since 2020, public sector support has declined sharply, with virtually no households reporting receiving any form of social assistance in May 2022, in contrast to the 43 percent of households which reported receiving cash assistance in October 2020. Amid persistent domestic and external headwinds, the economy is projected to only recover modestly in FY2022, implying continued pressure on incomes and livelihoods. Following the estimated 18 percent contraction in FY2021, GDP is projected to increase by 3 percent in the year to September 2022. The absence of a substantial rebound in FY2022 – with GDP still around 13 percent lower than in 2019 – is indicative of the severe supply- and demand-side constraints that continue to impact economic activity. At the aggregate level, the slight upward revision of our growth projection from the 1 percent growth forecast in the January MEM reflects the much less severe than expected impact of the fourth wave of COVID-19 in February and March. The manufacturing and construction sectors are driving most of the modest growth expected this year, with services sector activity constrained by weak demand and agricultural production hampered by higher input prices, logistics constraints, and conflict. Inflation is projected to remain elevated given persistent impacts from kyat depreciation, logistics constraints, and still-high global prices (despite a recent easing in some food and fertilizer prices). CPI inflation is projected to average 15 percent in FY22, with year-on-year inflation peaking in the second half of the year). The current account deficit is expected to widen slightly, with goods imports increasing by more than goods exports in the year to date, and services exports expected to remain weak. The fiscal deficit is expected to remain elevated in the twelve months to September 2022. Both expenditure and revenue outturns worsened significantly in FY21, and only a partial improvement in each is expected in the following 12 months..."
Source/publisher: The World Bank (Washington, D.C.)
2022-07-21
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.85 MB (51 pages), 729.47 KB (11 pages) - Original versions
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Sub-title: Myanmar is currently fraught with rising humanitarian needs, and an impending economic meltdown that seems quite probable
Description: "This piece is part of the essay series, Instability in India’s neighbourhood: A multi-perspective analysis On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military or Junta seized power from the second-time elected government, the National League for Democracy (NLD) citing unverified claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 polls. The State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with a few of the NLD leaders were arrested and the NLD party was banned by the Junta. The coup triggered mass protests to fight the autocracy: Countrywide boycotts, protests, and synchronised civil disobedience movements were launched. The State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with a few of the NLD leaders were arrested and the NLD party was banned by the Junta. The nation is currently fraught with rising humanitarian needs, and an impending economic meltdown seems more probable, triggered by pandemic-induced value-chain disruptions, diminished workforce, food insecurity, destruction of resources, and cash shortages on the domestic front. Additionally, the outflow of capital from the country coupled with fresh sanctions from western countries has put the country in a precarious external position. The interconnectedness between these economic issues in Myanmar has made the problem more complex. Domestic economy and capital productivity The impact of any civil unrest on the domestic economy is always brutal in a multitude of ways. The coup and successive violence have reduced the growth and productivity of the factors of production (human and physical capital) that form the backbone of the nation, thereby, reducing the return on investment on economic capital. Further, the destructive effects of the coup have invariably hiked the rate of capital depreciation in the nation. The deterioration of Myanmar’s economic capital can be explained through the following lenses. Firstly, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and especially after the military takeover of the government, most companies and firms have experienced reductions in sales, shortages in cashflows, and difficulties in accessing banking and internet services. This has been detrimental to the workforce in the economy where the combined effects of the coup and pandemic cost Myanmar around 1.6 million jobs in 2021. Whilst the rural farmers were severely affected by armed conflict; construction, garments, tourism, and hospitality, industries suffered year-on-year employment losses of 31 percent, 27 percent, and 30 percent, respectively. Secondly, large-scale economic losses and unemployment have induced a food crisis situation wherein a large segment of the population is deprived of nutritionally rich food. Moreover, the military takeover has not only increased the cost of fuel-petrol by 33 percent and diesel by 29 percent, but the dollar has also started to become more expensive for Myanmar since October 2021. A major fallout of these changes is the increase in the retail prices of almost all the commodities; cooking oil increased almost three times its earlier price before the coup, and the price of overall food imports increased by 20-50 percent. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and especially after the military takeover of the government, most companies and firms have experienced reductions in sales, shortages in cashflows, and difficulties in accessing banking and internet services. The country is suffering from a food security crisis that threatens to affect 70 percent of the populace. Thirteen million people have been estimated to face moderate or severe food insecurity in 2022. Whilst incomes have declined, food and agricultural input prices have increased, pushing vulnerable people to take on debts, spend savings and sell off assets to cover their families’ subsistence needs. The practice of such adverse mechanisms, in addition to eating less or skipping meals, or not consuming food for a day, has increased from 23 percent in 2020 to 33 percent in 2022. In Rakhine State, 30 percent of households reported having no food in 2021 compared with 9 percent in 2020. In Chin State, 58 percent of households reported intaking less food compared with 21 percent in 2020. Investment outflow and international trade Myanmar’s economy experienced an 18 percent contraction by September 2021 and since then the growth projected till September 2022 is only around 1 percent. The stumbling economic parameters bear testimony to the fact that the ongoing political turmoil has devastated the business climate in the economy, decreasing foreign investments to a large extent. Not only are the infrastructure project funding from donor countries, such as the aid programmes from Japan on the line; many international businesses, such as the Norwegian telecom giant: Telenor, are reconsidering their investments in Myanmar. Additionally, western economies such as the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU), and Canada have not only placed sanctions against individuals connected to the Junta regime but also prohibited business dealings that are controlled by Myanmar’s military. The sector witnessed decreased demands from not only the domestic side, but its global partners such as H&M, Benetton, and Primark who have also ceased business in Myanmar. The twin crisis induced by the virus and the coup has also dampened Myanmar’s external trade, which slumped from US$ 20.36 billion in October 2020 to US$ 15.78 in April 2021. Myanmar’s garment sector used to be a significant component in the country’s international trade. The garment shipments which rose from US$ 1 billion (10 percent of total exports) to US$ 6.5 billion (30 percent of total exports) from 2011 to 2019 are struggling to operate effectively with tens of thousands of garment factory jobs lost in Myanmar. The sector witnessed decreased demands from not only the domestic side, but its global partners such as H&M, Benetton, and Primark who have also ceased business in Myanmar. Consequently, factory closures and interruptions in manufacturing, and work stoppages related to COVID-19 and coup restrictions have impacted the sector at large. Myanmar economic recovery Plan The Myanmar government is expected to announce the Myanmar Economic Recovery Plan (MERP) covering the 2021–2022 to 2023–2024 period as a medium-term agenda to facilitate post-COVID-19 economic recovery ahead of the next election in 2023. It is said to contain 30 goals, 165 outcomes and 430 action plans to increase job opportunities and induce value-added economic activities. It is also expected to include reforms in procedures covering taxation, banking, finance, trade, development of the digital economy, transport and supply chains, tourism development, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, and the energy sector. However, no plans or documents regarding this have been announced or forwarded to the public domain to date. Myanmar is reeling under a critical humanitarian crisis, the worst that the country has faced in the last two decades. The number of displaced people in Myanmar including children has exceeded 1 million by May 2022. The nation seems to have reached a stalemate to advance adequate solutions in the form of economic reforms, to improve the situation of the labour markets and food security. To overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic and political issues, and promote job creation, the Myanmar government needs to implement multiple economic stimulus programmes intended by the MERP to mitigate the economic crisis which seems to be gaining strength every day..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Observer Research Foundation
2022-06-15
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "As Myanmar continues its transition from a military state to a quasi-democratic one, its eco- nomic growth rates have risen concomitantly (World Bank Group 2014, 7). Given the penury to which the country descended over the military period, Myanmar's masses would appear poised to reap benefits from this growth, as the rising tide lifts all boats (Farrelly 2016). How- ever, closer examination of the structure of the political economy (see Chapter 18; Nyo Tun 2016) dampens enthusiasm: average Myanmar people face four interlacing challenges - a highly resource-extractive growth model; agrarian displacement; few good jobs to reabsorb displaced labourers; and inadequate or eroding safety nets - that may leave them materially worse off. First, Myanmar's growth model remains dependent on natural resource extraction (Bissinger 2012; World Bank Group 2014, 16), a phenomenon which in comparative cases has led to marked increases in inequality (Gylfason & Zoega 2002). Such extractive sectors, which in Myanmar include the illicit drugs trade (Winn 2015), have few economic linkages - meaning they create few jobs relative to the rents they generate. Current market liberalisation is merely facilitating an intensification of such resource exploitation, as foreign investment skews mas- sively towards the extractive sector (World Bank Group 2014, 16). Myanmar's exceedingly thin political-economic elite (only 7.5 per cent of the population is middle class or afiluent - see Shein Thu Aung 2013) has benefited by illicitly capturing resource rents, policing entrance to this rarefied stratum by requiring personalised connections to a military-elite clique (Larkin 2015); by entrenching themselves as the only viable businesses (Ford et al. 2016) they potentially crowd out non-aligned prospective entrants. Second, legal 'reforms' have made land an alienable asset, providing an alluring investment opportunity for agribusinesses, industrial zone managers, narcotics money launderers (Meehan 2011) and land speculators. These reforms together with the aforementioned land-intensive resource extraction put immense pressure on the livelihood base of Myanmar's poor: land is being stripped from both peasants and urbanites through means both 'legal' (evictions and debt dispossession) and extra-legal (violent land grabs). Third, infrastructure and logistics deficits - not to mention a global political-economic structure that provides barriers to economic 'structural transformation' for such a late 'late developer' (Waldner 1999) - mean that displaced masses are not reabsorbed into any bourgeoning high productivity economic sector such as manufacturing. 404 Class and inequality Finally, meagre public services do not provide the marginalised with opportunities to break the cycle of underemployment: education and health in particular are sectors in which the wealthy consume high-quality private services (often outside Myanmar), while the poor survive on underfunded and under-qualified public options. Further, resource rent management pro- cesses remain inscrutable (World Bank Group 2014, 42) and hence revenues may be siphoned off rather than being allocated to those starved public good sectors. Added to this, traditional networks of care and support may be eroding: increasingly necessary migration (ILO 2015) disrupts village life and horizontal community bonds therein (Boutry 2013), while an ascendant bourgeois ethos celebrating individual accomplishment combined with elite reorientation to a now-accessible global consumptive marketplace means that vertical patronage bonds may degrade. Myanmar is hence rapidly becoming a visibly unequal place, as a military-business elite asserts itself, flaunting luxuriant lifestyles (Mahtani 2014) that flourish in the interstices of the country's largely destitute environment. This is a moment of explicit class consolidation - complete with the ideological succour provided by self-help gurus justifying accumulation as available to all with 'positive' attitudes. How will the excluded respond: will the pullulating protests roiling in Myanmar today mobilise broader movements? Or will the poor feel placated by the country's ubiquitous 'development' discourse, believing broad benefits (either material or only symbolic) will trickle down to them (Prasse-Freeman 2014)? This chapter will proceed by sketching Myanmar's political economy over the past two centuries, focusing on facets that prevented both grossly unequal conditions from developing and class-consciousness from forming. It will then tum to the current political economy, further elaborating the four challenges sketched above. The chapter will then conclude with a discus- sion of perceptions of class and inequality in the country. Historical equality in shared exploitation As elaborated by scholars of dynastic Myanmar and Southeast Asia (Scott 2009, Aung-Thwin 1990, and Lieberman 1984, inter alia), Myanmar's pre-colonial political economy revolved around the control of rice paddy production. Authorities built decentralised systems of taxation and regulation through which they garnered tribute from regional leaders, who in turn extracted resources from those further away institutionally and physically. Critical for our purposes, within this political economy key institutions helped peasants manage exploitation. Aung-Thwin (1984) outlines the way subjects sought out bonded relationships to patrons or institutions that secured their lives and livelihoods, while Scott (1972) describes how the political-economic 'terms of trade' were relatively decent for a peasant producer who could nonetheless rely on kin and village to mitigate shocks. In later work, Scott (2009) posits that if elites violated the terms of these bonds, the hills and swamps surrounding Myanmar's lowlands provided areas to which subjects could flee (c( Lieberman 2010, 339-342). While more research is necessary to assess whether this compelled any concessions by rulers, at the very least the evidence suggests that conditions eroded for peasants during the colonial period. The British colonial project (1824-194 7) generally undermined village risk manage- ment mechanisms (by enclosing common resources and inducting peasants into the perilous cash economy - see Scott 1972, 25-26), and in particular radically transformed the Delta areas of the Ayeyawaddy river into an enormous rice producer by inducing peasants to clear swamps and plant paddy. While this turned Myanmar into 'the rice bowl of Asia', historian Ian Brown describes the ultimately disastrous effects of this colonial rice-export economy: by continually rejecting legal and policy protection schemes for farmers (such as conditional debt forgiveness laws or crop diversification policies), the colonial administration made peasants vulnerable to 405 Elliott Prasse-Freeman and Phyo Win Latt cycles of dispossession. The British themselves noted the way they were undermining the long- term health of the Burmese political economy, and yet chose to only deepen their extraction practices (Brown 2013, 37-44). Moreover, this myopic focus on rice retarded the development of any non-rice sectors (including more human capital-intensive ones); further, by importing Indian clerks to run the administration, and by promoting Indian (and Chinese) capital to lubri- cate the economy, the colonial period systematically excluded Burmese from the state and the few advanced sectors of the economy. Hence, external shocks such as the Great Depression and World War II decimated the brittle economy, and Burma staggered into independence with little capital (Indians had fled or been expelled), rice fields destroyed, infrastructure cut, without domestic manufacturing, with few experienced administrators and facing a country-wide insur- gency exacerbating those challenges. Against conventional wisdom about Burma's bright post- independence future, the country was hardly poised to be a successful economy before the mismanagement of the military period. The military era further exacerbated Myanmar's decline. In the context of economic and administrative ruin, and numerous insurgencies mobilised along ideological and ethnic lines, Burma's military emerged as an ambitious and capable actor (Callahan 2003), ultimately able to build a hybrid rentier state (Prasse-Freeman 2012): while fighting off those many insurgencies, the military-state apparatus extracted the country's natural resources and cut a set of 'bargains' with the populace. Rural dwellers got land, but were compelled to give up much of their rice yield to the state; urbanites got cheap rice, but there was no competent industrialisation and no growth. Both groups were denied political freedoms. The military was able to violate those bargains at whim - as in the Delta area where thousands of farmers were dispossessed of their land after not delivering their rice yield quotas (GRET 2015). Yet, such expedient violations bring into question claims such as Brown's that the military governments of this era 'stressed equity rather than increased productivity' (Brown 2013, 185); when read through the lens of the military's interests, low inequality was less a policy goal - less a choice for which 'produc- tivity' was sacrificed - than a secondary effect derived from the military's prosecution of its organisational objectives. As Brown himself notes, the military never addressed landlessness (in fact, scholars at GRET show that the military created it), and by 2000 'nearly ten million people [were) largely dependent on laboring wages alone' {Brown 2013, 185). Unlike other so-called late-developers in the greater region (such as Taiwan and South Korea - see Waldner 1999), the rents extracted by the military were not reinvested into the building of an advanced manu- facturing sector (hence structurally transforming the economy), but were rather directed at maintaining a system of political domination through an ever-growing apparatus of organised violence. As we will elaborate on below, the military's self-interests subverted any rhetorical pretence for equality and socialism; people were equal in their poverty (Khin Maung Kyi et al. 2000, 130--131). As the military continued throughout the 1990s and 2000s to consolidate its position within the state, it relinquished some direct control of the economy, pivoting towards market experi- mentation by encouraging an improvisational quasi-entrepreneurial form of wealth extraction, one that resulted in two significant transfers of productive resources. The first saw the dispos- session of average Burmese people: various state agencies were encouraged to embrace the market economy by serting up their own 'development' projects, meaning that ill-equipped ministries grabbed land from farmers and attempted to establish industrial projects (sugar pro- duction, etc.), with predictably disastrous results (see Woods 2014); as the military continued to win wars against ethnic and other various non-state armed groups, it collaborated with those vanquished elites for shared resource exploitation (Woods 2011), resulting in marginalisation of ethnic masses (Brenner 2015)..."
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Source/publisher: Elliott Prasse-Freeman and Phyo Win Latt
2018-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "This is the first Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) e-newsletter since the military took over on 1 February. Rather than the usual format, this message to MCRB stakeholders takes a wider look at responsible business in the current political crisis, and what this means for MCRB’s future activities. Since 1 February MCRB has been focused on our team’s welfare and safety. We have seen that employee and customer safety is also the top priority of all businesses, both local and foreign. We have shared tips with companies and other organisations how they can support staff digital safety and mental welfare, including responding to detention of loved ones. The MCRB team has also taken up the opportunity of a group workplace counselling session to share their feelings. Counselling Corner also have regular free online sessions. We know the other main priority of business in Myanmar right now is commercial survival. The survey undertaken in April by ten Chambers of Commerce demonstrated very clearly the massive economic impact of the coup on the Myanmar economy and employment, and showed this to be far more significant than COVID-19. Main challenges for business are disruptions to banking (77%), internet (70%) and employee safety (66%). The survey also showed that the biggest impact has been felt by Myanmar companies, particularly SMEs which unlike multinationals, have little ability to absorb it. Against this very negative business outlook, and with foreign investors now scaling back and avoiding Myanmar, MCRB has been reflecting on what responsible business means in the current crisis and how the Centre can be useful to our stakeholders.....ဤ အီလက်ထရောနစ် သတင်းလွှာသည် ဖေဖော်ဝါရီလ ၁ ရက်နေ့တွင် တပ်မတော်မှ အာဏာသိမ်းပြီး သည့်နောက် မြန်မာ့စီးပွားရေးကဏ္ဍ တာဝန်ယူမှုရှိရေး အထောက်အကူပြုဌာန (MCRB) မှ ပထမဆုံးအကြိမ် ထုတ်ပြန်သည့် သတင်းလွှာ ဖြစ်ပါသည်။ ဤ တွင် MCRB နှင့် ပတ်သက်ဆက်နွယ်သူများ (stakeholders) အတွက် ပုံမှန်ထုတ်ပြန်နေကြပုံစံထက် လက်ရှိနိုင်ငံရေး အကျပ်အတည်းကာလနှင့် ဆိုင်သော တာ၀န်ယူမှုရှိသော စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်း အကြောင်း ပိုမိုကျယ်ပြန့်စွာ ကြည့်ရှုရန် နှင့် MCRB ၏ အနာဂတ် လုပ်ငန်းများအတွက် မည်သို့ဆိုလိုသည်ကို တင်ပြရန်ဖြစ်ပါသည်။ ဖေဖော်ဝါရီလ ၁ ရက်နေ့မှစ၍ MCRB သည် MCRB အဖွဲ့သားများ ၏ အဆင်ပြေစိတ်အေးချမ်းမှု (welfare) နှင့် ဘေးကင်းလုံခြုံမှု (safety) ကို အဓိကထားခဲ့ပါသည်။ ထိုနည်းတူစွာ ပြည်တွင်း နှင့် နိုင်ငံခြား စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်း အားလုံးအတွက်လည်း ၎င်းတို့၏ ဝန်ထမ်းများနှင့် ဝယ်ယူစားသုံးသူများ/ ဝန်ဆောင်မှု ဌားရမ်းသူများ (customer) ၏ ဘေးကင်း လုံခြုံမှုသည် ပထမဦးစားပေး ဖြစ်ကြောင်းကို ကျွန်ုပ်တို့ တွေ့ရှိခဲ့ပါသည်။ ကျွန်ုပ်တို့သည် ကုမ္ပဏီများ၊ အခြားသော အဖွဲ့အစည်းများနှင့် ၎င်းတို့၏ ဝန်ထမ်းများ အတွက် ချစ်ခင်သူများ အထိန်းသိမ်းခံရပါက မည်သို့လုပ်ဆောင်သင့်ကြောင်း အပါအဝင် ဒစ်ဂျစ်တယ် လုံခြုံရေး (digital safety) နှင့် စိတ်ပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာ ကောင်းမွန်အဆင်ပြေစေရေး (mental welfare) အတွက် မည်သို့ ပံ့ပိုးကူညီပေးနိုင်ကြောင်း အကြံဥာဏ်များကို မျှဝေခဲ့ပါသည်။ MCRB အဖွဲ့သားများ အနေဖြင့် ၎င်းတို့၏ စိတ်ခံစားချက်များကို မျှဝေရန် လုပ်ငန်းခွင်အတွင်း အဖွဲ့လိုက် ကောင်းစလင်း ဆွေးနွေးခြင်း အစီအစဥ် (workplace counselling session) တစ်ခု ပြုလုပ်ခဲ့ပါသည်။ Counselling Corner တွင်လည်း အခမဲ့ အွန်လိုင်း အစီအစဥ်များ ပုံမှန်ရှိပါသည်။ လက်ရှိတွင် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတွင်း စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်းများ အတွက် အခြားသော အဓိကဦးစားပေးမှာ စီးပွားရေးဆက်လက်ရှင်သန်နိုင်ရန် (commercial survival) ဖြစ်ကြောင်းသိရှိပါသည်။ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအခြေစိုက် နိုင်ငံတကာကုန်သည်အသင်း ၁၀ ခု မှ ဧပြီလတွင် ပြုလုပ်ခဲ့သည့် စစ်တမ်းကောက်ယူမှု အရ အာဏာသိမ်းမှုကြောင့် မြန်မာ့စီးပွားရေးနှင့် အလုပ်အကိုင်အပေါ် ကြီးမားသော ဆိုးကျိုး သက်ရောက်မှုမှာ COVID-19 ထက်ပို၍ သိသာထင်ရှားကြောင်း ရှင်းလင်းစွာ ဖော်ပြခဲ့ပါသည်။ စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်းများအတွက် အဓိကစိန်ခေါ်မှုများမှာ ဘဏ်လုပ်ငန်း (၇၇%)၊ အင်တာနက် (၇၀%) နှင့် ဝန်ထမ်းများ၏ ဘေးကင်းလုံခြုံမှု (၆၆%) ဆိုင်ရာ မငြိမ်မသက်မှုများကြောင့်ဖြစ်ပါသည်။ ၎င်းစစ်တမ်း ဖော်ပြချက်အရ မြန်မာကုမ္ပဏီများ၊ အထူးသဖြင့် နိုင်ငံစုံကုမ္ပဏီများနှင့်မတူသည့် ခံနိုင်ရည်မရှိသော အသေးစားနှင့် အလတ်စား စီးပွားရေးလုပ်ငန်းများ အပေါ် အကြီးမားဆုံး သက်ရောက်မှုများ ဖြစ်စေခဲ့ပါသည်။ ဤ အနုတ်သဘောဆောင်သည့် စီးပွားရေးအလားအလာကို မလိုလားကြသော နိုင်ငံခြား ရင်းနှီးမြှုပ်နှံမှုများသည် ယခုအခါ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံကို ရှောင်ရှားခြင်းနှင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံမှ ပြန်လည်ဆုတ်ခွာခြင်း တို့ကြောင့် MCRB သည် လက်ရှိ အကျပ်အတည်းတွင် တာ၀န်ယူမှုရှိသော စီးပွားရေး လုပ်ငန်းဆိုသည်မှာ မည်သည်ကို ဆိုလိုကြောင်းနှင့် ကျွန်ုပ်တို့နှင့် ပတ်သက်ဆက်နွယ်သူများ အတွက် စင်တာ (Centre) မှာ မည်သို့ အသုံးဝင်နိုင်မည်ကို အလေးအနက်ထား စဉ်းစားသုံးသပ်နေပါသည်။..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business
2021-05-21
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Protected Areas are important tools for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Myanmar possesses 39 protected areas and 21 of these areas are declared as ecotourism sites. The study area, Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary is a designated ecotourism site and is strategically located on the bank of Ayeyarwady River and in Bagan Area. The main objective of the study is to identify and evaluate the economic benefits of study area in term of non-consumptive values. Willingness-to-pay for park’s entrance fee is analyzed by Contingent Valuation Method. Return-to-Zero Regression method is used to explore the influence characteristics on willingness-to-pay. The Spatial Statistics tools are applied to predict the existence-value of study park. The main findings are (i) the park has consumer surplus for entrance fee, (ii) the most influenced characteristics of visits on willingness-to-pay is Research Purpose, and (iii) the park is situated as the key dominant habitat hot spot. The researcher believes that this contribution will value to various stakeholders.....ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Firstly, I am most gratitude to Professor Dr. Khin Naing Oo, Rector of Yangon University of Economics, and Professor Dr. Tun Aung, Pro-Rector of Yangon University of Economics for their kindly permission to conduct this study and to submit this paper. I am really thankful to Professor Dr. Thida Kyu, Director of Development Studies Programme, Yangon University of Economics for her keen interest and support to carry out my study. I express my heartfelt thanks to Professor Dr. Ni Lar Myint Htoo, Professor from Department of Economics, Yangon University of Economics, for her guidance throughout the study. This study could not be undertaken without support and encouragements of my supervisor, Dr. Kalya Kyaing (Consultant – National Specialist on Economics, Asia Development Bank). Thus, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to her. Then I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Daw Win Min Than (Retired Lecturer) and Dr. Naw Htee Mue Loe Htoo (Lecturer from Department of Economics, Yangon University of Economics) for their enthusiastic teaching and knowledge sharing on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. I would like to express my special thanks to all professors, associated professors and lecturers for imparting of a great variety of knowledge and concepts of development during the study period of two years under EMDevS Programme. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all library staffs from Yangon University of Economics. I also offer my thanks to U Shwe Htay Aung (Warden of Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary) and Daw Kay Khine Oo (Assistant Lecturer, Yezin Agriculture University), who helped me to obtain required data and satellite images. I would like to appreciate to Professor Dr. Win Tint (Retired Pro-Rector of Taungoo University), Professor Dr. Win Maung (Chairman, Myanmar’s Environment Institute) and Professor Dr. Htun Ko (Head of Department of Geography, University of Yangon) who shared their knowledge and advised me for this study..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Yangon University of Economics
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Ant Financial, the Chinese operator of Alipay, announced its plans to invest US$73.5 million for a minority stake in Digital Money Myanmar Limited, a fintech company based in Myanmar locally known as Wave Money, the companies announced in a press release. Wave Money, a mobile financial services provider, allows users to send and receive money through a network of more than 57,000 agents or “Wave Shops” distributed across urban and rural areas covering approximately 89 percent of the country. Wave Money, a joint venture between Norway’s Telenor and the local Yoma Group through its Yoma Strategic and Yoma Bank group companies, aims to to promote financial inclusion for the underbanked communities in Myanmar in order to reach the government stated goal of increasing financial inclusion in the country from its current 48 percent to 60 percent by 2020. As part of the partnership, Wave Money will leverage Ant Group’s experience in mobile payment platforms to improve its capabilities, give users a smoother experience and to offer services that better address the needs of users in Myanmar. In a country where only about 25 percent of the population has access to a bank account, “Myanmar is ready for mass adoption of digital payments with a connected population and high smartphone penetration. This partnership will be transformative for Wave Money and Myanmar,” said Brad Jones, Wave Money’s CEO in a statement released on Monday (18 May)..."
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Source/publisher: "The ASEAN Post" (Malaysia)
2020-05-21
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Ardeth Thawnghmung’s new book, Everyday Economic Survival in Myanmar is an engaging read, particularly for those working in livelihoods or microfinance in the INGO sector, for international donor agencies creating strategies for lending, grants, or programming in Myanmar, or for anyone interested in Myanmar’s informal economy. Thawnghmung’s focus on the coping strategies employed by everyday Myanmar people across the country draws on Kerkvliet’s ‘everyday politics’, Scott’s ‘everyday resistance’, and Thawnghmung’s earlier work. Thawnghmung uses Hirschman’s (1970) framework of loyalty, voice, and exit and an adaptation of Scott’s (1985) passive resistance (“indirect, frequent, and often uncoordinated acts of resistance”, p. 11) to frame and analyze various coping strategies found in Myanmar. She calls this the LPVE framework (loyalty, passive resistance, voice, and exit). Yet, her approach is multidisciplinary, incorporating political, economic, social, and psychological coping strategies, turning the focus from politics to survival. For those familiar with her earlier work on authoritarianism and state legitimacy (2004) and the politics of “quotidian matters” (2011), by turning to the study of everyday survival, Thawnghmung is yet again pushing our conceptions of “the political” in Myanmar. Thawnghmung’s work emphasizes that the ways in which people make choices and decisions about how to make ends meet is integral to the functioning of politics and authority..."
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Source/publisher: "Teacircleoxford" (Myanmar)
2020-03-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar's natural gas export hit 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first 11 months (Oct.-Aug.) of the fiscal year 2018-2019 ending September, according to the Ministry of Commerce Wednesday. The natural gas export during the period increased by 430 million U.S. dollars compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Natural gas represents one of the major export items of Myanmar and over 20 percent of the country's export earning came from the sale of natural gas. There are several gas fields in Myanmar, of which Yadana and Yetagun were discovered in the early 1990s. The Yadana natural gas project, located offshore in the Andaman Sea, is being carried out by the TOTAL company of France with its pipeline supplying gas to Thailand so as the Zawtika project in the gulf of Mottama. The Shwe natural gas field, lying offshore Rakhine state, was found in 2014 and gas from the field was mainly exported to China..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-09-18
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: ''A tour of the three most popular tourist destinations in Myanmar - Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangon. An informative video for people planning to travel to Myanmar or for those who are just curious about the country...''
Source/publisher: erikssc
2013-05-02
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: ''Representing each of Myanmar’s 14 States and Regions, more than 130 civil society members attended the event, which was co-hosted with the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission in collaboration with Dan Church Aid, Norwegian Church Aid, Equality Myanmar and the Local Resource Center. The ICJ’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, Frederick Rawski, introduced the Forum objectives which were to raise awareness of the rights, obligations and reporting processes associated with Myanmar’s ratification of the ICESCR on 6 October 2017. As a State Party to the ICESCR, Myanmar is obliged to respect, protect and fulfill a variety of human rights including the rights to: decent work, an adequate standard of living, adequate housing, food, water and sanitation, social security, health, and education...''
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
2018-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "On 13 July, Aung Kyaw Soe and Hlaing Min Oo of MCRB presented at the ?Project Planning and Project Management in Financial Workshop” held at the Mon State Hluttaw Hall in Mawlamyine organized by National Enlightenment Institute (NEI). Around 90 participants attended, including chairperson Daw Tin Ei of Mon State Hluttaw, and members of the Hluttaw (Parliament), government officials, businesspeople, and civil society organisations from Mon State..."
Source/publisher: Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business
2018-07-25
Date of entry/update: 2018-08-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: Abstract: "Myanmar may for a long time remain in a transitional state with an uncertain future. After a series of political and economic liberalization reforms from 2011 onwards, Myanmar?s political trajectory remains open-ended, although the most plausible scenario remains a continued slow democratization process. The democratic opening has been driven largely by the interest of the military rulers in changing Myanmar?s relations with Western states and thereby gaining leverage vis-à-vis China. Continued military influence, persistent capacity problems in political parties and parliamentary politics, weak channels of political representation and limited administrative capacity give rise to critical questions about the substance of democratization and economic development in Myanmar. The country?s informal economy is one of the largest in the world and is upheld by informal elite pacts that were formed in the military era, often involving high-ranking officers and crony companies. Along with a high level of corruption and lack of redistributive mechanisms the continuing cronyism hinders inclusive growth. If these economic structures persist, social and ethnic conflicts may intensify and progress towards further democratization stall. Despite this, foreign direct investments in resource extraction and other sectors have been on the rise since 2011 and are likely to continue. Myanmar is also ranked as the world?s second-most vulnerable country to climate change. The government needs a better understanding of climate change and its effects ? both its direct impacts on Myanmar and its indirect impacts via neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh. As Myanmar remains at a crossroads, smart external assistance may have greater long-term impact in Myanmar than in other recipient countries where the situation is less volatile. However, donors may also become increasingly frustrated and reduce their assistance because of the ongoing Rohingya crisis and because of the limited local capacity to absorb international assistance."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Researchgate (Report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
2018-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2018-04-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 3.61 MB
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Description: "China?s Growing Economic Footprint China?s global economic footprint is projected to grow exponentially through its ?Belt and Road? initiative, to which China initially pledged US$124 billion, but may grow to US$900 billion according to the Financial Times. Started in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, this development strategy seeks to strengthen connectivity between China, Asia, Europe, Africa and beyond, based on the construction of infrastructure along a road ?belt? and a maritime ?road?, while serving to stimulate trade through harmonised regulations and reduced protectionism. This is complemented by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new multilateral lending institution initiated by China with 37 member states and $100 billion in capital as of late 2016. This marks a new phase in China?s economic statecraft, initiated by its ?Going Out? policy in the early 2000?s, which was driven by a mix of factors including the accumulation of foreign reserves in the form of US government debt, saturation of the domestic market, and better in-house know how to compete internationally. Coinciding with decreased investment by Western countries in Asia and other developing countries since the 2008 financial crisis, China in recent years has emerged as one of the largest sources of outward FDI to Asia and the rest of the developing world. In the early stages of Going Out, given the Chinese government?s minimal social and environmental standards, overseas firms have tended to work exclusively with host governments to secure deals while paying scant attention to concerns raised by host communities. Globally, Chinese investments have earned the reputation of being efficient investors, but largely disconnected from the local contexts in which they operate. The growing economic rise of China alongside the backtracking of America?s pivot to Asia strategy with the killing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, as well as the lack of other options to generate foreign exchange or capacity to regulate investments, raises concerns among developing countries that they will have few options but to continue to make political and economic concessions..."
Creator/author: SiuSue Mark, You Yi Zhang
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2017-07-13
Date of entry/update: 2017-12-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Source/publisher: Asia Foundation
2016-11-21
Date of entry/update: 2016-11-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 438.7 KB
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Description: Executive summary: "This briefing paper assesses the trajectory and significance of resource conflict risks and threat multipliers in Myanmar. The principal findings include: 1. Despite poor institutional settings, increased foreign direct investment is unlikely in of itself to increase local or regional resource conflict.i Investment industry, type of local business partners, ability to secure social licence, and specific project footprints will all shape the contribution of FDI to resource conflict... 2. Select armed ethnic group?s demands for a federal political system are highly likely to intensify in absence of public finance reform, more transparent resource revenue management and greater fiscal devolution to states hosting projects. This is likely to result in the fracturing of some ceasefire agreements, increased ethno-religious communal violence, localised project sabotage and magnified security risks for business investments... 3. Increasing military securitisation of key energy infrastructure assets, such as pipelines and hydrodams, is highly likely. They are the lifeblood of Myanmar?s fragile economy and will continue to be strategic targets if project revenues are allocated solely to the military and military-affiliated businesses... 4. Armed ethnic groups, particularly in Kachin and Shan states, are likely to attempt expelling the Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces) from these positions or engage in project sabotage in response to land seizures, human rights abuses, environmental degradation and arbitrary arrests... 5. The number of internally displaced persons is unlikely to decrease in the next 12 months, and those trying to return home are likely to experience continued dislocation from land as a result of opportunistic land grabs... 6. Protests over land grabs and particular infrastructure projects are likely to escalate if parliament does not act on the recommendations of the Farm Land Commission... 7. Conflation of localised, isolated or project-based resource conflicts within broader ethnoreligious confrontations and communal violence is could possibly be a threat multiplier and expand the geographic scope of conflict... 8. Armed ethnic groups or nationalist forces could possibly exploit local conflicts and marshal existing tensions around religion, nationalism, development disparity and ethno-political competition to attempt nationalising conflict as a strategy to leverage greater political power. However, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and elements of the military could possibly attempt to mitigate this risk through a divide and conquer strategy to reduce any existing semblance of ethnic group solidarity."
Creator/author: Scott Hickie
Source/publisher: Open Briefing
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 701.58 KB 2.85 MB
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Description: Summary: "In the Framework for Economic and Social Reform (FESR) 1, the Government of Myanmar (GOM) outlined the need to increase public expenditure in the social sector and for infrastructure to support economic growth and fight poverty. FESR also stated that government expenditure on health and education will increase, whilst defence expenditure will decline. Therefore, the United Nations Children Fund Myanmar, (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD) have developed this report examining current social sector expenditure and the fiscal space available to increase this spending. In order to understand how public finance could be better oriented towards children, the objectives of this paper were: • To identify and highlight trends in terms of public sector expenditures, their allocation and growth rates, especially those related to the ?social sector”; • To assess the overall impact of State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) on the budget; • To examine the fiscal flow to the states/regions; and • To analyse trends in revenue and expenditure. Key Findings from this report include: • The Government has made commitments to reduce Myanmar?s fiscal deficit, with projections currently suggesting it will decline to 5 per cent of GDP by 2014-15, from 9 per cent in 2012- 13. However, it is still uncertain to what extent the supplementary budget might impact the final figure. • SOE?s make significant contributions to government revenue and expenditure. Although their net contribution to the fiscal balance varies between SOEs, many are increasingly being exposed to market forces, which is expected to improve their overall impact on the fiscal balance and potentially increase fiscal space for children • Social sector spending (health, education and social welfare) has increased since 2011-12, averaging between 5-9 per cent of total expenditure, compared to defence which still absorbed 13-15 per cent of total expenditure over the same period. Despite this, the proportion of expenditure allocated to defence has declined since 2011-12. • Budget allocations for education rose from just under 4 per cent of the budget in 2011-12 and is projected to reach nearly 6 per cent in 2014-15. • Expenditure on health tripled, from 1 per cent in 2011-12 to 3 per cent of the budget in 2012-13. • Allocations for social welfare have declined from under 0.2 per cent of expenditure in 2011- 12 to 0.1 per cent in 2014-15. Despite this, social welfare expenditure in absolute terms is at approximately the same level in 2014-15 as it was in 2011-12..."
Creator/author: Dr Zaw Oo, Dr. Aniruddha Bonnerjee, Phoo Pwint Phyu, Giles Dickenson-Jones, Paul Minoletti
Source/publisher: UNICEF via Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
2012-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2016-01-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.63 MB 3.67 MB
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Description: Summary: "In the Framework for Economic and Social Reform (FESR) 1, the Government of Myanmar (GOM) outlined the need to increase public expenditure in the social sector and for infrastructure to support economic growth and fight poverty. FESR also stated that government expenditure on health and education will increase, whilst defence expenditure will decline. Therefore, the United Nations Children Fund Myanmar, (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD) have developed this report examining current social sector expenditure and the fiscal space available to increase this spending. In order to understand how public finance could be better oriented towards children, the objectives of this paper were: • To identify and highlight trends in terms of public sector expenditures, their allocation and growth rates, especially those related to the ?social sector”; • To assess the overall impact of State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) on the budget; • To examine the fiscal flow to the states/regions; and • To analyse trends in revenue and expenditure. Key Findings from this report include: • The Government has made commitments to reduce Myanmar?s fiscal deficit, with projections currently suggesting it will decline to 5 per cent of GDP by 2014-15, from 9 per cent in 2012- 13. However, it is still uncertain to what extent the supplementary budget might impact the final figure. • SOE?s make significant contributions to government revenue and expenditure. Although their net contribution to the fiscal balance varies between SOEs, many are increasingly being exposed to market forces, which is expected to improve their overall impact on the fiscal balance and potentially increase fiscal space for children • Social sector spending (health, education and social welfare) has increased since 2011-12, averaging between 5-9 per cent of total expenditure, compared to defence which still absorbed 13-15 per cent of total expenditure over the same period. Despite this, the proportion of expenditure allocated to defence has declined since 2011-12. • Budget allocations for education rose from just under 4 per cent of the budget in 2011-12 and is projected to reach nearly 6 per cent in 2014-15. • Expenditure on health tripled, from 1 per cent in 2011-12 to 3 per cent of the budget in 2012-13. • Allocations for social welfare have declined from under 0.2 per cent of expenditure in 2011- 12 to 0.1 per cent in 2014-15. Despite this, social welfare expenditure in absolute terms is at approximately the same level in 2014-15 as it was in 2011-12..."
Creator/author: Dr Zaw Oo, Dr. Aniruddha Bonnerjee, Phoo Pwint Phyu, Giles Dickenson-Jones, Paul Minoletti
Source/publisher: UNICEF via Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
2012-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2016-01-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.29 MB
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Description: "What role for public financial management in deepening social accountability and promoting legitimate governance?...This discussion paper outlines so me of the challenges and opportunities for public financial management (PFM) reform in contributing to deeper social accountability and legitimate governance in the context of Myanmar?s wider decentralization and peace process. The paper poses a set of key questions for development actors to consider as they seek to support inclusive reform in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: OXFAM
2015-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "Foreign direct investment (FDI) may be one of key elements for the development of Myanmar in the future, considering that advanced ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Thailand and China that have shown good economic performances have received a lot of FDI. This paper provides good lessons to the government and business community for attracting FDI based on the experiences of ASEAN countries and China. This paper starts by looking at the positive and negative effects of FDI. While there often is a fear that the domestic market for a specific product can be dominated by foreign companies, the history of the advanced ASEAN countries, demonstrates that nationalistic or protective FDI policies before the middle of 1980s did not borne fruit. On the other hand, countries that deregulated policies have shown outstanding performances in attracting FDI. Assuming the positive effects of the FDI, lessons on key elements of FDI policy on corporate income tax incentives, negative lists and decentralization are also provided. Finally, policy recommendations are enumerated as conclusions..."
Creator/author: Masami Ishida
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 259.92 KB
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Description: Abstract: "In recent years, ASEAN has been accelerating its efforts to establish the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. As a member of ASEAN, Myanmar has a mandate to implement a number of policy reforms, as agreed to in the AEC Blueprint. Key reforms include trade liberalization and facilitation in accordance with the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), investment liberalization and facilitation as set forth under the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), services liberalization to comply with the terms of ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), infrastructure development in support of projects such as the ASEAN Highway Network (AHN) and Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL), and so on. At the same time, since the inauguration of the Thein Sein administration in March 2011, Myanmar has been transforming itself to a democratic country with more liberal economic policies including the elimination of dual exchange rates and the introduction of the new foreign investment law. Both of these regional and domestic efforts are critical for Myanmar to seize the moment to capture the benefits of being a fully-integrated member of a regional and global economic community..."
Creator/author: So UMEZAKI
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 475.89 KB
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Description: Abstract: "The new government of Myanmar has proved its intention to have good relations with the international community. Being a member of ASEAN, Myanmar has to prepare the requisite measures to assist in the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. However, the legacy of the socialist era and the tight control on the banking system spurred people on to cash rather than the banking system for daily payment. The level of Myanmar?s banking sector development is further behind the standards of other regional banks. This paper utilizes a descriptive approach as it aims to provide the reader with an understanding of the current payment and settlement system of Myanmar?s financial sector and to recommend some policy issues for consideration. Section 1 introduces general background to the subject matter. Section 2 explains the existing domestic and international payment and settlement systems in use by Myanmar. Section 3 provides description of how the information has been collected and analyzed. Section 4 describes recent banking sector developments and points for further consideration relating to payment and settlement system. And Section 5 concludes with the suggestions and recommendation..."
Creator/author: Khin Thida Maw
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 112.43 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Since 1986, Vietnam has carried out various measures to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), in line with deepened integration into the regional and world economies. The legal framework for FDI entry into the country has improved since 1987, with the promulgation of and numerous amendments to the Foreign Investment Law, alongside other legal-economic reforms concerning trading rights, the tarification of non-tariff barriers, etc. These structural and procedural changes facilitated FDI inflows to Vietnam, though such inflows varied during different periods. There are, however, some concerns about the effectiveness of recent FDI inflows, particularly regarding the low ratio of implemented capital over registered capital, and the State?s limited ability to manage capital inflows. Vietnam also took some practical steps, and experienced a string of success, in various aspects of FDI promotion ? such as the introduction of export processing zones and industrial zones, the supply of infrastructure facilities, the delegation of FDI management authority to local governments, and the dialogue mechanism with the Government of Japan to support FDI operations. Key lessons from FDI promotion in Vietnam include: (i) the use of proper policies to support FDI promotion; (ii) greater focus on establishing a liberal neutral environment; (iii) provision of necessary conditions for the effective decentralization of FDI management; (iv) promotion of supporting industries; and (v) closer consultation with existing and potential investors. Learning from Vietnam?s experience, Myanmar needs: (i) an integrative and comprehensive policy agenda towards FDI promotion; (ii) a broad framework for economic reforms that accommodate viable FDI strategies; (iii) an approach to FDI that incorporates elements of gradualism and selectivity; and (iv) a stable, transparent, and predictable policy and economic environment..."
Creator/author: Thanh Tri VO, Duong Anh NGUYEN
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 1.3 MB
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Description: Abstract: "For decades, Myanmar migrants have crossed the border to work in Thailand, and only in the 2000s Thailand had launched a long-term policy, aiming to recruit formal migrants and legalize migrant workers holding temporary work permits. However, no extension would be permitted after 2012. That year, the number of registered Myanmar migrants stood at 1,186,805 Myanmar migrants, with 619,644 comprised of regular skilled and unskilled workers and another 567,161 migrants consisting of irregular unskilled workers in various labour intensive industries, agriculture, trading and services. Recent political and economic reform in Myanmar has brought changes to the development of the country. Major labour market sectors for Myanmar migrants in Thailand include agriculture, construction, manufacturing and service which absorb large numbers of workers. In order to invite experienced, semi-skilled and skilled Myanmar migrant working in Thailand for development in Myanmar, an appealing policy in Myanmar is needed. A survey of 204 Myanmar migrants in Bangkok, Samutsakorn and Mae Sot district, Tak province, Thailand, found that majority of them realize about the changes taking place in Myanmar today. These migrants contribute millions baht of their remittent annually to support their families in Myanmar in addition to and have obtained valuable skills and experiences from working in Thailand. Some of Myanmar migrant workers plan to go back in a few years but under certain circumstances, such as having enough savings, economic opportunities, competitive wages to support a decent standard of livings as well as political stability and sufficient infrastructure in Myanmar..."
Creator/author: Supang Chantavanich, Premjai VUNGSIRIPHISAL
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 547.32 KB
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Description: Abstract: "This paper compares the development of the rice economy in Myanmar with Vietnam?s. The rice economies in the two countries show a stark contrast in terms of productivity. To account for the yield gap between them, this paper considers the impacts of not only price policies but also production technology. As there is no clear deterioration or improvement in the terms of trade for rice producers in the two countries, the widening yield gap might be attributable to differences in technological changes. It is implied that Myanmar needs more public investments in agriculture, especially in irrigation and breeding of high-yield varieties seeds, in order to upgrade production technology. The insufficient public investments in the agricultural sector in Myanmar might be due to lower marginal return to such investments, which in turn is related to the allocation mechanism of the state budget; the higher the delegation of budget to local governments, the higher the marginal return to public investments could be. A policy recommendation is more delegation of agricultural budget to local governments..."
Creator/author: Koji KUBO
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 302.97 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Despite more than two decades of transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy, Myanmar?s economic transition is still halfway. The government?s initial strategy for dealing with the swelling deficits of the state economic enterprises (SEEs) was to put them under direct control in order to scrutinize their expenditures. This policy change postponed restructuring and exacerbated the soft budget constraint problem of the SEEs. While the installation of a new government in March 2011 has increased prospects for economic development, sustainable growth still requires full-scale structural reform of the SEEs and institutional infrastructure building. Myanmar can learn from the gradual approaches to economic transition in China and Vietnam, where partial reforms weakened further impetus for reforms..."
Creator/author: Koji KUBO
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 273.16 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Since 1988, when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (military government) assumed state responsibility, the market has been partially opened to the outside world. Myanmar?s industrialization has shown little progress as the previous government?s1 policies and poor international relations hampered FDI inflows. As the new ?elected” government took office in 2011, significant changes in policies have taken place and this paper intends to highlight the efforts of the new government in its attempt to enhance industrial development. The paper assesses the performance of related union-level ministries and regional governments towards industrial development through establishing industrial zones in all states and regions, except the Chin and Kayah states. The establishment of seven new industrial zones and extension of 18 existing industrial zones is seen to have a positive effect on industrial development, although improvements in infrastructural facilities need to be realized. Introducing the SME Service Centre in Yangon and SME financing schemes enables the firms to obtain loans from the newly named Small and Medium Industrial Development Bank (SMIDB2, thus contributing to SME development to some extent. New laws related to the industrial sector have been enacted, and rules and regulations to implement the laws are under processing. Though there is a lack of an industrial plan, many of the policy and structural changes have been made for supporting the manufacturing and processing sector. A strategic alignment still needs to be implemented deeply down in the operation level where the real positive changes can be made. The study touches upon the new government?s attempt to attract FDI to Myanmar by revising the existing foreign investment law and creating an enabling environment for it."
Creator/author: Aung Min, Toshihiro Kudo
Source/publisher: Bangkok Research Center (IDE-Jetro) Research Report No. 10
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 589.81 KB
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Description: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "The Myanmar economy became one big state economic enterprise (SEE) in the Ne Win era beginning in 1962 when an extreme socialist path to development was adopted. As the failure of this strategy became increasingly obvious, the scope for private enterprise was enlarged in the years preceding the popular uprising that ended the Ne Win era in 1988. The military junta (SLORC) that crushed the uprising and formed a new government declared its support for market-based economic growth and began privatizing state enterprises and state assets. This process of privatization proceeded in waves over the next 23 years. Nevertheless, the SEE sector remained significant at the end of the SLORC/SPDC era. Following the national election in November 2010, the government led by Thein Sein took office in March 2011. It surprised most observers by promptly launching an ambitious program of peace building, democratic institution building, and economic reform. It moved quickly to implement crucial macroeconomic policy measures, especially adopting a managed float exchange rate system. It opened up the foreign trade sector and enacted a new Foreign Investment Law. Privatization of the SEE sector has been one of the priorities of the Thein Sein government, but its implementation has been mixed. The rent-seeking nature of the deals carried out under the previous government has not changed much. Every part of the government is actively engaged in privatization activities, but each in its own way. No common policies or procedures exist. As a result, it is likely that substantial values that could be retained by or accrue to the government are being captured by narrow private interests. With one year remaining in its 5-year term, there may be little the Thein Sein government can do to reduce these losses and improve the performance of the SEE sector as a whole. However, among the six options examined in this study, it is possible to extract a set of actions that could make it easier for the next government to achieve better results. These actions are the following: * Sharply increase the transparency of the SEE sector. A starting point would be posting a list of all SEEs on a dedicated website. A separate page for each SEE could provide the following minimum information: responsible ministry, name of CEO (Chief Executive Officer)/Managing Director, scope of operations, actual budget revenue and expenditure for the last available fiscal year, projected revenue and expenditure for the current fiscal year, and contact information for the SEE home office. Lease agreements, joint ventures, and PPPs would be included. * Proceed with the corporatization of all enterprises that appear to have the potential of operating profitably or with a reasonable amount of budget support, starting with 100 percent ownership and then moving opportunistically to sell or enter a joint venture or proceed with an IPO (Initial Public Offering). This is probably best done not by a broad fiat from above but selectively where the stakes are high or where the managers seem inclined toward this move. In this process, it would also be advisable to develop a consistent approach to the articles of incorporation. Serious mistakes can be made at this stage so close attention will pay off in the long run. * Establish a special SEE policy unit—in the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, or the President?s office—to provide consistency in managing the government?s SEEs. (Alternatively, a quasi-government entity like the Centre for Economic and Social Development could be mandated to perform this function.) * Develop preliminary guidelines for the SEE policy unit setting forth the scope of its work, procedures for coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies and the legislature, principles for privatization actions (corporatization, joint ventures, leasing, PPPs or public-private partnerships), near term priorities, etc. * Recruit two or three outstanding CEOs to turn around two or three visible, mid-sized SEEs, and give them the support they need to succeed. * Design a scheme for buying out redundant SEE employees. There will not be enough time to implement the scheme before the next government takes office, but it could conceivably be the single most important contribution this government can make to improve SEE sector performance. Multilateral and bilateral aid agencies could provide matching financing for the scheme..."
Creator/author: Lex Rieffel
Source/publisher: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
2015-09-21
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 990.82 KB
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Source/publisher: FTUM (Federation of Trade Unions - Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "Foreign Direct Investment is one of the main factors to improve trade in each and every country to boost its economy. The Union of Myanmar government announced the Foreign Direct In vestment Law in 2011. Then the new law was enacted on 2nd November 2012. It includes a lot of business which are "restricted or prohibited" items such as timber, forests, oil and gas, jade, pearls and precious stones, post and telecom, air and railway transport, banks, insurance, mining, power generation, defense related manufacturing. Those items are allowed on a case by case in doing joint venture or production sharing contracts. In Myanmar, there are some barriers which have been found in most of the Least Development Countries. And there are many favourable conditions to invest in Myanmar such as intrinsic strength, favourable location and international support. To achieve a step change in FDI and get closer to meeting the economy?s largest need for investment, as well as to contribute to diversely the sectors to which FDI goes, Myanmar needs to prioritise two main areas: developing a targeted FDI strategy led by a high performing agency and improving Myanmar?s business environment.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Thin Thin Kyi
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 199.3 KB
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Description: "...After Myanmar government led by U Thein Seinhas committed for a political and economic reform in 2011, Japan International Cooperation Agency (from now, ?JICA?) started helping Myanmar. In fiscal year 2012, Myanmar receive 227,930 millions of Yens, considering 39% of the total figure in Southeast Asia, in a form of technical cooperation such as training, participants, experts, study terms, provision of equipment. Also, JICA started granting an ODAin 2013. (JICA, 2015) More than that, the fact that Myanmar liberalized the economy and promised for a democratic transition have loosen the tension between itself and other international players. The international institutions welcome and have more activities with Myanmar more easily. The reduction of sanction from other countries means less trade restriction and more trading promotion including tax exemption. All these leads to a significant economic growth and a chance for Myanmar to catch up with other ASEAN countries before the ASEAN community starts at the end of this year. However, just like other developing nations, the growth concentrates on a few main cities. Mandalay, the ancient capital city locating in the north of Myanmar, has its border connecting to the Southern part of China. Recently, the Chi nese government has invested in the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone or Kyaukpyu SEZ focusing on the energy and petrol industry. Thus, Chinese government built the pipeline delivering gas to Yunan province. Also, The highway was built. This highway is the ma in linkage between China and northern part of Myanmar. Chinese capital and consumer products have been flowed to Mandalay. Recently, Mandalay is one of a few cities that are popular in investors? eye...".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Saibhorn Biboribankul
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 153.8 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Considering health in the broad term as well?being this study examines changes to villagers? lives with the effect of privatization and modernization policies. It explores how their economy is related to the changing environment in both time and space. How these villagers cope, struggle and do their best to sustain their living in light of limited resources they had are also presented. This study is conducted in Htantaw Village in the area of Taungthaman Lake locating in the ancient Amarapura Township of Mandalay Division, Myanmar. Villagers, from different ages, occupations and economic status, were interviewed in their homes. Focus groups were used in the first section of the data collection stage. In addition, this study encouraged village leaders participation through the data collection process such as through drawing a Village map, talking through the geographic and social changes in the village and villagers? struggle and survival strategies. Before 1990, Htantaw; Village is a typical agricultural based village where villagers worked on rice farming, wickerwork and livestock breeding such as duck and cow. Initial socio and economic changes began in 1996 when the water draining in and out was blocked to make a natural Taungthaman Lake as the huge fish?raising ponds by the military government which later issued concession of fishing in a nearby lake owned by a private company. This greatly impacted the villager?s livelihood not only the farming family but also duck and cow raising for milk too, including the rice farmers as their paddy field and agricultural land around the lake had been flooded. The other significant social change was in 2000 due to the establishment of Yadanabon University providing the education for more than twenty thousand students in total a year. The village has become crowded not only with students moving in and from other places but also people who had moved in as workers for the university. Villagers who have some savings started the room rental business and grocery shops. Some started small business es such as restaurants, mobile phone shops and café shops, beauty salon and dress making shops. The social tension between the local and new moving in has been mentioned as well as the increasing struggles in villagers? life. As the study was conducted by university staff members with the participation of village leaders, its results will be used in further discussions to build a relationship between academic and community people in order to better support the economic and educational development of the village and suggest a model for peaceful learning society in the country.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Sandar Win
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 3.4 MB
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Description: Abstract: "How Yintaw came into existence under the Myanmar monarchical rule and how it changed in the successive periods until Myanmar regained her colonial period are discussed. Yintaw was first inhabited by the Pyus, and it became an important locality ruled by Myanmar kings. When the colonial government divided the country into districts, Yintaw became a district and later became a sub-division of Mandalay Division. When colonial administration was introduced, priority was given to the maintenance of law and order rather than to the effectiveness of administration. This work revealed a broad perspective of the importance of the region in the development of societies throughout history. As is already known, the interrelation between the society and agrarian economy was so great that one cannot develop if the other is weak. In order to discuss these topics, the researcher has made extensive field research to collect primary source materials which have never been used before. Stone inscription, land mortgage deeds and contemporary records were used to speak of their supra and infra relation, administrative pattern, self sufficiency economy, economic hardship, social status and various religious sectors. I believe that my new finding research work will be a significant value for the South East Asian studies.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Moe Moe Oo
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 535.33 KB
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Description: "In the six months since the previous East Asia and Pacific Economic Update , the regional economic landscape has been dominated by two key developments in the global economy. First, there has been a sustained decline in world oil prices. This is already exerting, and will likely continue to exert, a differential impact on the performance and prospects of countries, depending on whether they are fuel importers or exporters. Second, there has been a rapid dollar appreciation against the euro and the yen. Most regional currencies have depreciated to only a limited extent against the dollar, implying significant appreciations in real, trade-weighted terms. Growth in developing East Asia and Pacific moderated from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 6.9 percent in 2014, reflecting slowdowns in China and some ASEAN-4 economies. Nonetheless, the region still accounted for more than one-third of global growth, twice the combined contribution of all other developing regions. In China, growth decelerated by 0.3 percentage points, as attempts to contain credit growth and reduce overcapacity were partly offset by measures to avoid a sharp slowdown. In the rest of the region, growth fell by 0.6 percentage points. Within the ASEAN-4, growth dropped most sharply in Thailand, to 0.7 percent, as a result of prolonged political turmoil; the economy began to recover only in late 2014. Indonesia was affected by weakness in its terms of trade and commodity exports, and by the continued impact of policy tightening aimed at addressing external financing constraints. Growth remained generally robust in the region?s smaller economies, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Most countries continued to rebuild the fiscal buffers eroded by stimulus spending in the wake of the global financial crisis, but challenges remain. Fiscal balances broadly continued to improve, particularly in Malaysia and the Philippines. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam further rationalized fuel subsidies or raised fuel taxes. However, in Mongolia and to a lesser extent Lao PDR, both deficit and debt levels remain elevated; in Myanmar, a sizable deficit has emerged; in Vietnam, public debt continues to rise; and Malaysia?s public debt remains high..."
Source/publisher: World Bank Group
2015-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-05-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "The Yangon Stock Exchange is slated to open later this year, but there is much to do until then. Applications for service providers were due on March 6, one step in many that needs to be completed before the exchange can launch. The Myanmar Times? Jeremy Mullins met with Dr Maung Maung Thein, deputy finance minister and chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Myanmar, on March 7 to discuss the road ahead for the YSX."
Creator/author: Jeremy Mullins
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (English)
2015-03-23
Date of entry/update: 2015-03-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Articles on Myanmar economy.
Source/publisher: The Irrawaddy
Date of entry/update: 2015-01-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "This paper comparatively examines the economic policies of Myanmar in transition with other Asian countries? experiences and test the credibility of the policies with econometric methodology. Comparative studies with other emerging economies and transitional stages offer the opportunity to examine Myanmar?s transitional policies clearly and found out that Myanmar is at the cross road and not focusing on the old pattern of developments of other?s success stories. Myanmar is definitely not focusing on the productivity of agriculture for the surplus transfer to industrialization. It assesses the development pattern of Myanmar from the theoretical perspective. Growth models mainly address the importance of saving and capitals, human capital, openness to the trade, macroeconomic stability, political stability, technological change and most importantly the surpluses transfer from agriculture to industrialization as key drivers to economic growth. Based on the Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper tests the credibility whether the economic policy reform of Myanmar is contributing much to the growth and development. It employs the time series data set from IMF staff estimates, World Bank, ADB, MOFA, and the technique of cointegration test within an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Framework (ARDL ) proposed by Pesaran (1997) . The empirical results show that the economic policies of new Myanmar government are not focusing on the right direction to realize the potential gains and last but not least, the paper shades lights on the policy recommendations."
Creator/author: Richard Takhun
Source/publisher: (Thesis) School of Economics and Finance Curtin University of Technology
2013-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2014-11-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 760.22 KB
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Description: Concluding Remarks: "For many years, the West has pressured Myanmar in the direction of democracy and respect for human rights by ostracizing its military government through measures such as economic sanctions. Now, the thick fog of military rule that has so far enshrouded the country has become clear. As Western economic sanctions have been eased or lifted, Myanmar?s products will no doubt regain access to global markets, and there will be an influx of foreign investment to this country. The Myanmar economy will become more integrated into the global and regional economies, and have the chance to realize its latent potential. Myanmar?s exports will accordingly increase, and the export goods and destination shall be diversified. To do so, the first step for Myanmar is to show its ability to host export-oriented industry. The apparel industry seems to serve as a litmus test for this. After that, to be a part of production and distribution networks for E&E industry in East Asia will be a key for Myanmar to proceed to the next stage of industrialization. Myanmar should also tap into intra-regional markets, such as China, India and Thailand, in addition to traditional export markets such as US and EU. Utilizing the regional free trade agreements and further enhancement of the connectivity with these countries is also important for the export-oriented growth strategy for Myanmar"
Creator/author: Toshihiro Kudo, Satoru KUMAGAI
Source/publisher: IDE Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No.9
2013-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2014-10-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English and Burmese
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Description: "In December 2011, President Thein Sein urged his government to rebuild the beaten-up former capital of Yangon (Rangoon), a city of an estimated population of seven million, into a modern city like Singapore. When it comes to traffic congestion and squalid slums, Yangon has come to resemble Manila or Bangkok in recent years. In response the Minister of Industry, Soe Thein, promised flyovers at four busy intersections in the city in four months. Yangon would emulate Singapore?s infrastructure, from railway and road networks and mass transportation to sewage system and parking lots. He said that his government should apologise to the public if they cannot deliver the bridges in four months. Four months on, in April 2012, the city officials were seen taking part in the ground-breaking ceremony for the first flyover at Hledan junction. At the same time, the Ministry of Commerce has been trying to keep up with the Joneses in terms of vehicles per capita. There are 7 cars for every 1,000 Burmese citizens, compared to 270 for 1,000 Thais and 14 for 1,000 Vietnamese. It is not only that the number of cars in the country must be increased — they must look new or, at least like good second-hand cars. In September last year, the government introduced a scheme that required the owners of 20 to 40 years old vehicles to trade their cars in for newer models..."
Creator/author: Ko Ko Thett
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2012-06-05
Date of entry/update: 2014-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Commentary on the scope and limits of Myanmar?s recent reforms has already become trite. Those familiar with the endemic corruption and impropriety in the country?s governmental and business practices have been quick to celebrate the relaxation of economic strictures, and the unexpected welcome Naypyidaw has given to new mechanisms of accountability. Hope for an end to the human-rights abuses and economic mismanagement, which has characterized the country?s political economy for decades, is palpable. The reengagement of International Financial Institutions (IFIs - including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and ADB, the Asian Development Bank) in these reforms has lent weight to arguments that President Thein Sein?s quasi-civilian government has turned a corner. Optimists put stock in the government?s contention that with a robust framework for macro and micro economic and social reforms, Myanmar can become a modern, developed and democratic nation by 2030. However, both the ideological underpinnings of this reform process - led by IFIs and embraced wholesale by Naypyidaw - and the consequences for the majority of Myanmar?s population have been little discussed..."
Creator/author: David Baulk
Source/publisher: "Asia Times Online"
2013-10-24
Date of entry/update: 2014-05-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. Tax reform may not be sexy, but Myanmar?s fledgling market economy is in desperate need of fiscal consolidation. A combination of well-intentioned reforms and some unsavory legacies of the old military regime have left public finances in a precarious position. If the current methods of public financing are not restructured quickly, a debt crisis is a real possibility. At present, Myanmar?s public debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is officially estimated at 45.7%, hardly an extraordinary figure by global standards. Even a developing country such as Myanmar, with its long history of instability and economic mismanagement, could maintain the good graces of global capital markets if public debt remained at this moderate level..."
Creator/author: Josh Wood
Source/publisher: "Asia Times Online"
2014-01-08
Date of entry/update: 2014-05-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "Despite more than two decades of transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy, Myanmar?s economic transition is still only partly complete. The government?s initial strategy for dealing with the swelling deficits of the state economic enterprises (SEEs) was to put them under direct control in order to scrutinize their expenditures. This policy change postponed restructuring and exacerbated the soft budget constraint problem of the SEEs. While the installation of a new government in March 2011 has increased prospects for economic development, sustainable growth still requires full-scale structural reform of the SEEs and institutional infrastructure building. Myanmar can learn from the gradual approaches to economic transition in China and Vietnam, where partial reforms weakened further impetus for reforms."... Keywords: Myanmar, transition, state economic enterprises JEL classification: H61, O53, P21
Creator/author: KUBO Koji
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Discussion paper No. 376
2012-12-00
Date of entry/update: 2013-04-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Continued religious and ethnic violence in Burma could deter much-needed investment by fostering a ?wait and see” attitude among foreign companies and entrepreneurs, according to a study of the recent spate of anti-Muslim rioting and arson in the country. ?Failure to prevent the spread of sectarian violence could dampen the influx of critical foreign investment,” the briefing on Burma by British business risk consultants Maplecroft said. The report identifies the booming tourism industry as the most vulnerable, with the negative impact quickly spreading to the retail and infrastructure sectors. ?[Burma] has attracted significant interest from investors since the US and EU pared back sanctions in 2012. However, stakeholders remain cautious about making significant investments in the country, preferring to wait and see how the reform process moves forward,” said Maplecroft?s principal Asia analyst Arvind Ramakrishnan..."
Creator/author: William Boot|
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
2013-04-11
Date of entry/update: 2013-04-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: The government?s efforts to reform the long-dormant economy and tackle endemic poverty through 2011 and 2012 have failed to reach the intended targets, sources said last week.
Creator/author: Aye Thidar Kyaw
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
2012-12-31
Date of entry/update: 2013-01-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Since joining the Brookings Institution in 2002, Rieffel, a former US Treasury Department staff economist, has made Myanmar?s economic transition a focus of his policy research work. He was in the country in October and November to assess foreign aid to Myanmar.....In terms of economic revival, what are Myanmar?s most pressing needs? An economy, even a rudimentary one like Myanmar?s, is a complex system. This means that to perform at a high level, a large number of elements need to be functioning properly at the same time. Right now, it is hard to identify a single element that is functioning properly. Substantial progress has been made since March 2011 in removing obstacles to proper functioning, like ending some monopolies and abandoning the official exchange rate, but much more needs to be done to have a properly functioning electrical system, telecommunications system, banking system, land tenure system, trade regime, foreign exchange regime, etc. Furthermore, in complex systems, it is necessary for the number of properly functioning elements to grow until a ?tipping point” is reached before the benefits of improvements can be easily seen. What is needed to ensure that the whole country benefits from Myanmar?s sizable natural gas reserves?.."
Creator/author: William Boot
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
2012-12-30
Date of entry/update: 2013-01-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: ABSTRACT: "The Thein Sein government of Myanmar seeks higher and balanced economic growth. This is a challenge for the government since some economic literature identifies a trade-off between higher economic growth and better regional equality, especially for countries in the early stages of development. In this paper, we propose a two-polar growth strategy as one that includes both ?high? and ?balanced? growth. The first growth pole is Yangon, and the second is Mandalay. Nay Pyi Taw, the national capital, will develop as an administrative centre, not as an economic or commercial one. We also propose border development with enhanced connectivity with richer neighboring countries as a complementary strategy to the two growth poles. Effects of the two-polar growth strategy with border development are tested using a Geographical Simulation Model (GSM)... Keywords: Yangon, Mandalay, economic geography, agglomeration, regional inequality, border development, population, poverty alleviation, connectivity JEL classification: F23, L67
Creator/author: Toshihiro Kudo, Satoru KUMAGAI
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Discussion paper No. 371
2012-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-12-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Internal debate over a pending new foreign investment law has exposed divisions between reformers and conservatives in Myanmar. How the power struggle shakes out will determine in large measure the direction and pace of the country?s closely watched economic reform program. Big multinational corporations, including Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company and General Electric, have expressed initial interest in Myanmar, a market American companies were until recently banned from entering due to US government imposed economic sanctions. Even with that ban lifted, companies have remained wary about committing funds without stronger legal protection of their investments. In line with his broad reform agenda, President Thein Sein announced plans for a more liberal investment regime in late 2011. Since then the law to regulate new foreign investment has undergone several rewrites and heated debate in parliament. The new law is designed to replace the extant and outdated 1988 investment law. A first draft of the law was sent to parliament in March but was rejected by conservative parliamentarians - some with known links to the business associates of former junta leaders - as overly advantageous to foreign interests. Although full details of the legislation have not yet been made public, earlier drafts reportedly included several restrictions on foreign capital, including bans on foreign investment in as many as 13 sectors..."
Creator/author: Brian McCartan
Source/publisher: "Asia Times Online"
2012-10-03
Date of entry/update: 2012-11-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "The purpose of this study is to identify potential agents of change in Myanmar society that can facilitate rapid industrialization and recommend ways the international community can support private sector development by aiding such groups. The historical enquiry in Part I suggests Myanmar‟s lack of success in industrialization is largely due to an inward looking political elite with a predisposition towards State-led development rooted in nationalism stemming from the colonial period. The hybrid economy, which is neither socialist, mixed economy nor market oriented, created by partial economic reform and reversals since 1988 has two implications for the current situation. First, the new president in his promotion of the economic reform agenda is not constrained by policy formulation capacity: economists have had many years to consider ways to re-establish transition to market oriented economy. Second, the very existence of a hybrid economy reveals the presence of powerful interests vested in the status quo. Implementation capacity is the main issue and two prospective scenarios are outlined: de-industrialization should the president fail in his mission and the initiation of rapid industrial development should he succeed. Part II takes cognizance of current dynamics in the world economy as well as noting the development paths of successful economies in the region. Myanmar‟s factor endowment is reviewed in the light of the „resource curse‟ and the economic reform agenda is outlined, with outward orientation and private sector-led development emphasized. Industrial development hinges on the Biz-15 (the country‟s best-connected businessmen with their large family-owned conglomerates) aligning their interests with SMEs: they stand to vastly increase their fortunes by building and operating the modern infrastructure essential for a competitive and dynamic SME-populated manufacturing exports sector, and also by facilitating ?anchor? FDI from MNCs. Such fortunes, commensurate with those in the region, would be justified if the Biz-15 can raise the rate of progressive change acceptable to their political patrons so Myanmar‟s 60mn population can all prosper. In Part III, I recommend the international community support a major study by a supply chain manager working with Biz-15 members to explore strategies for the growth and integration of a nascent export processing sector in Myanmar into the China-centric Asian supply chains to rich country markets."
Creator/author: Stuart Larkin
Source/publisher: Network Myanmar
2012-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2012-10-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "The new Government of Myanmar has astonished the world since it took office at the end of March 2011 by the pace and scope of policy changes it has introduced in a country that has underperformed most other Asian countries for decades. Not a single analyst inside or outside Myanmar before President Thein Sein?s inaugural address predicted the changes that many now label ?breathtaking.? The global policy community and the media have focused heavily on the political changes and challenges, giving less attention to the economic changes and challenges than they probably deserve. This paper focuses on 21 high-priority economic issues facing the Thein Sein administration in mid-2012.".....Overview... The Myanmar Economy at the End of the 2011/12 Fiscal Year... Macroeconomic Issues... The Primary Product Sectors... The Energy Sector... The Financial Sector... Infrastructure... State-Owned Enterprises... Private Sector Development... International Trade and Investment... Multilateral, Bilateral and International NGO Aid... Endnotes
Creator/author: Lex Rieffel
Source/publisher: Brookings Institution
2012-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-10-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 952.33 KB
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Description: "Kyat appreciation is damaging traditional export industries National leaders of Myanmar, including President U Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, emphasize that economic development should go with poverty alleviation and equitable income distribution. For these objectives, growth of the export industries of rice, pulses and beans, and garments is indispensable as they provide income opportunities for a large number of poor households. The market exchange rate under the dual exchange rate system in Myanmar has exhibited extraordinary appreciation since late 2006. The value of the US dollar in terms of the Myanmar consumption bundle has diminished to one-third of its previous level in the five-year period of 2007 to 2011. This is the sharpest appreciation among Southeast Asian currencies. There is concern that the appreciating kyat is dampening the growth of the above-mentioned traditional export sectors..."
Creator/author: KUBO Koji
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No. 4
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "After decades of economic isolation and deprivation, Myanmar appears on the way to economic and political reforms. Initially, there is a nagging fear that Myanmar democratic process and economic reform could be reversed at some time in the near future. But gradually it becomes increasingly clear that the reform is here to stay with a caution that there would be some detours and setbacks along the way. Reform success would not be easy and how bumpy the road ahead will depend crucially on whether political reform can be entrenched through economic development that only economic reform can bring. Myanmar political and economic changes occur in the midst of ASEAN economic integration and regional change. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is scheduled to be completed in 2015 which is based on the four pillars of a single market and production base, a competitive region, a region of equitable development and a region connected to the global economy. Since the inception of the AEC blueprint in 2007, a great deal of integration measures have been agreed and implemented. Trade liberalization in services, investment and freer movement of capital have made significant progress while liberalization of trade in goods is practically completed. This liberalization and de-regulation have been accompanied by trade and investment facilitation, standardization of customs procedures towards ASEAN Single Window, standards and conformance and mutually recognized agreement (MRAs). As a member of ASEAN, Myanmar has agreed and initiated the required measures and domestic change as required by the AEC blueprint to achieve the AEC by 2015..."
Creator/author: HANK LIM, Senior Research Fellow Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No. 1.....BUSINESS, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commers & Industry, Vol.12, No.7, July 2012 (Burmese version).
2012-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
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Description: "Myanmar?s official statistics provide considerably outdated and narrowly covered data on the country?s economic and industrial situation. Data on geographical economic activities are particularly lacking. However, it is critically important for policy makers to know what the economic geography is like in Myanmar when they envisage sustainable and balanced economic development. An alternative way invented to estimate economic activities in developing countries is to use the strength and distribution of nighttime lights. It is now widely known that the strength of nighttime lights and economic activity are firmly correlated. Normally, the relationship between these two data is determined by some coefficients derived from regression analyses using ?actual? data and nighttime lights satellite imagery (Ghosh et al. 2010). Here, we use the nighttime lights to estimate the distribution of GDP at a district level (Figure 1), taking the national GDP as given..."
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No. 5
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...Being both developing countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Myanmar have shared a number of similarities, including development potential. Myanmar has recently decided to implement fundamental political and economic reforms, following years under economic embargo and severe shortages. Shortages of development resources, including capital, technology and management know-how, may drive Myanmar to actively join the competition for FDI to the region. Foreign investors have quickly shown interest, with almost USD 24.4 billion of investment in the country from April 2010 - December 2011. However, the transition from a lower development level may still put Myanmar in dire need to learn from regional countries? experiences, since they started the FDI-induced industrialization early. Vietnam?s experience with FDI attraction in the past decades could have important implications for Myanmar in developing its FDI policy. First, Myanmar needs to have a suitable ideology towards FDI promotion. FDI may constitute a good source of much-needed capital for economic development in Myanmar?s early stage. However, of greater importance are the technology transfer and other positive spillover impacts embodied in such flows of capital. Therefore, Myanmar should pay good attention to promoting such accompanied benefits, rather than the volume of foreign capital inflows alone..."
Creator/author: Tri Thanh VO, Anh Duong NGUYEN
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No. 3..... BUSINESS, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commers & Industry, Vol.14, No.9, September 2012. (Burmese version)
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
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Description: "...Despite an improved international business climate surrounding Myanmar, its garment industry is still facing serious challenges inside the country, including a rapidly increasing wage rate, particularly when denominated in US dollars as a result of an acute appreciation of the local currency. Another challenge is the high production costs due to shortages of electricity and a poor transportation infrastructure. These bottlenecks have already played out negatively in hampering garment suppliers? overall export performance, particularly when compared with other major Asian garment exporters. In this context, the Vietnamese experience provides an interesting reference point. Myanmar and Vietnam are in a way similar, as both have opened up their economies and started exporting garments in the early 1990s. However, their performance since has been very different. In 2000, Vietnam?s garment exports were just about double those of Myanmar. With a booming economy creating alternative job opportunities, labor shortages and wage increases in Vietnam?s garment industry have been serious as well..."
Creator/author: Toshihiro Kudo, Kenta GOTO
Source/publisher: IDE-JETRO Policy Review on Myanmar Economy No. 2..... BUSINESS, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commers & Industry, Vol.13, No.8, July 2012. (Burmese version)
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
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Description: Real economic change in post-election Burma is about as likely as a herd of white elephants, say experts... "Burma?s current military rulers will continue to run the economy for their own benefit even after the country comes under a more civilian form of government following this year?s election in November. A child plays while his parents take a nap beside their roadside vegetable stall in Rangoon. That?s the conclusion of a number of economists and financial policy experts who have been monitoring Burma in the lead up to the election. They foresee little real change that would benefit ordinary people. Although the current financial year will show improvements, these will be ?driven mainly by investment in projects in the energy and petroleum industries, particularly by Chinese firms,” concludes the latest assessment of Burma by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). ?Excluding these sectors, however, the domestic economy will remain sluggish,” according to the EIU report. ?The government?s revenue base remains small, and it will continue to spend heavily on large projects that benefit the military regime.” The EIU report, published in August, reaches similar conclusions to other economists and researchers who have been analyzing Burma in the months leading up to the election. A recent study by the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), a Washington-based think tank funded by the US Congress, said that natural gas exports to Thailand continue to be the main source of income for Burma?s economy, yet ?the junta has devised ingenious mechanisms to siphon these funds but has spent relatively little on improving the quality of life for most Burmese.” ?Using a system of multiple exchange rates, the junta deprives the government coffers of hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” said the USIP report. ?Unsurprisingly, the resultant large fiscal deficits have been financed by printing money, which has led to persistently high inflation.” The most somber assessment of all, by Australian economist Sean Turnell, suggests that in spite of growing gas exports, the standard of living in Burma is actually declining..."
Creator/author: William Boot
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 9
2010-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-07-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "The installment of a new government has augmented the prospect for implementing disinflation and exchange rate unification in Myanmar. A close look at the state budget shows that the reform of the budget system for state economic enterprises (SEEs) is essential. Reforms need to hold the replacement of controlled prices including the official exchange rate with market prices in SEE operations, and the separation of the SEEs from the state budget. But separating the SEEs from the state budget will necessitate careful planning to cope with SEE bankruptcies which would imposes another fiscal burden on the government. Therefore, economic viability must be a criterion for the continuation oftheir operations."... Keywords: Myanmar, state economic enterprises, disinflation, exchange rate unification
Creator/author: Koji KUBO
Source/publisher: Institute for Developing Economies (IDE DISCUSSION PAPER No. 320
2012-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 258.2 KB
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Description: ABSTRACT: While the trade statistics of Myanmar show surpluses for 2007 through 2010, the corresponding statistics of trade partner countries indicate deficits. Such discrepancies in mirror trade statistics are analyzed in connection with the ?export-first and import-second? policy provisioning import permissions on permission applicants possessing a sufficient amount of the export-tax-deducted export earnings. Under this policy, the recorded imports and exports of the private sector have been maintaining equilibrium, whereas discrepancies in the mirror statistics have fluctuated. This suggests that traders adjusted mis-reporting in accordance with the supply and demand of the export earnings"... Keywords: Myanmar, Trade Policies, Mis-invoicing, Smuggling
Creator/author: KUBO Koji
Source/publisher: Institute for Developing Economies (IDE DISCUSSION PAPER No. 326
2012-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "• Following the nominal transition to civilian rule, the regime maintains the State Peace and Development Council?s (SPDC?s) oppressive economic policies. • The military continues to control the bulk of the budget, with no improvement in transparency. One quarter of the 2011-2012 budget is designated for the military. Additionally, the ?Special Fund? law grants the Commander in Chief of the military access to unlimited discretionary funds without having to be accountable. • The regime maintains a dual exchange rate system in order to siphon off funds into private accounts, starving the national budget of official revenue and inflating the fiscal deficit. • A process of privatization that began in late 2009 has facilitated the transfer of key economic assets in the hands of cronies while lining the pockets of regime officials. The privatization has resembled a ?fire sale? to cronies that include those blacklisted by various governments. Meanwhile, economic competition remains severely constricted. • Despite the suspension of the Myitsone dam project, numerous large scale infrastructure projects continue to spur tensions in ethnic areas, cause massive displacement, and threaten the environment. The projects are not subject to public oversight and provide little benefit to local communities or the economy as a whole. • As a result of increased foreign investment through large scale infrastructure projects, the fall of the US dollar, and the dual exchange rate system, the kyat has inflated in value, hurting export-oriented sectors. • The regime continues to confiscate land and ignore the property rights of Burmese citizens in favor of foreign investors and cronies..."
Source/publisher: Altsean-Burma
2011-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2011-11-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary: "After decades of domestic conflict, military rule and authoritarian governance, Burma?s economy could provide a viable entry point for effective international assistance to promote peace. Doing so would require a detailed understanding of the country?s complex and evolving political economy. The lingering income and distributional effects of the 2008 Cyclone Nargis, anticipated changes associated with the new constitution and the 2010 elections and the Obama administration?s decision to devote more attention to Burma suggest that the time is ripe for the creative application of economic mechanisms to promote and sustain peace. Looming challenges could derail Burma?s prospects for economic and political stability. These challenges include irrational macroeconomic policies, failing to ensure all citizens enjoy benefits accrued from natural resources, endemic corruption, a flourishing illicit economy, a dysfunctional financial system and critical infrastructure bottlenecks. Failure to address these problems would frustrate peacebuilding efforts. A conflict sensitive economic strategy for Burma would focus on effective capacity-building, sustained policy reform, progressive steps to reduce corruption, fiscal empowerment of subnational authorities and prudent natural resource management. Success in these areas requires unwavering political will for sensibly sequenced policy improvements by domestic actors and finely targeted support from Burma?s international partners." .....လယ်ယာကဏ္ဍအတွက် ကြွေးမြီပြဿနာများ ပြေလျော့စေမှသာ ဖြစ်နိုင်ပေလိမ့်မည်။7 စီးပွားရေး အခွင့်အလမ်း မရှိခြင်းနှင့် နိုင်ငံရေးအရ ဖိနှိပ်ထားခြင်းကြောင့် ရည်ရွယ်ချက်ကြီးမားပြီး၊ ပညာတတ်ကြ သည့် နိုင်ငံသားများ အမြောက်အများ တိုင်းပြည်ပြင်ပသို့ ထွက်လာနေကြသည်။ နှစ်ပေါင်း(၂၀) အတွင်းတွင် ပြည်ပသို့ ထွက်လာသူ ခန့်မှန်း (၃)သန်းမျှ ရှိနိုင်ပါသည်။ ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံသို့ ဓာတ်ငွေ့တင်ပို့ရောင်းချမှုမှ နိုင်ငံခြားငွေ အမြောက်အများ ဝင်မလာမီ၊ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါး (ဘိန်းဖြူနှင့် မီသာအမ်ဖီတမင်း) ရောင်းဝယ်မှုမှ ၁၉၉၀ ခုနှစ်များ နှောင်းပိုင်းတွင် နိုင်ငံခြားဝင်ငွေ အများဆုံး ရရှိခဲ့သည်ဟု ခန့်မှန်းကြသည်။ ပြီးခဲ့သည့်နှစ်များတွင် ဘိန်းထုတ်လုပ်မှု သိသိသာသာ ကျဆင်းသွားခဲ့သည်။ သို့သော်လည်း မှောင်ခိုစီးပွားနယ်ပယ်တွင်းသို့ ငွေမာများ စီးဆင်းဝင်လာနေမှုက သိသိသာသာရှိနေသေးပြီး၊ အင်အားကောင်း အာဏာရှိနေသူများမှတဆင့် အစိုးရမူဝါဒများအပေါ် လွှမ်းမိုးသက်ရောက်နိုင်မှု ရှိနေပါသည်။ အခြားမှောင်ခိုစီးပွားနယ်ပယ်တစ်ခုမှာ ကြီးထွားလာနေသည့် တရုတ်လူမျိုးများ၏ အခန်းကဏ္ဍ ပင် ဖြစ်သည်။ တရုတ်နယ်စပ် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ အချို့အစိတ်အပိုင်းများတွင် တရုတ် ရီမင်ဘီငွေကို လှည့်လည်သုံးစွဲနေပြီး၊ ပြီးခဲ့သည့် နှစ်များအတွင်း မြောက်ဖက်ဒေသများ ၊ ပြည်နယ်များတွင် တရုတ်လူမျိုး တစ်သန်းကျော် တရားမဝင် ဝင်ရောက်အခြေချနေထိုင်ခဲ့ကြပါသည်။ ဤဖြစ်ပေါ် တိုးတက်မှုများက မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၌ သုံးစွဲနေသည့် ငွေကြေးအမျိုးမျိုးကြောင့် ပေါ်ပေါက်လာရသည့် ပြဿနာများကို အားဖြည့်ပေးပြီး၊ နိုင်ငံအဆင့် မက္ကရိုစီးပွားတည်ငြိမ်မှုတစ်ခုလုံးကိုပါ ထိခိုက်လာဖွယ် အကြောင်း ရှိနေပါသည်။
Creator/author: Lex Rieffel, Raymond Gilpin
Source/publisher: United States Institute for Peace
2010-03-10
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Description: This 1997 report was published by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The 70-page section on Burma is divided into 3 chapters: "Perpetuating the Military State" which among other things contains a few pages on the legal system which provide good background for the economics section; "Arrested Economic Development" and "Politicised business". The latter looks at trade, in particular between Australia and Burma. The analysis is useful but, given the 4-5 years since it was written, somewhat outdated.
Source/publisher: Australian Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade
1997-06-20
Date of entry/update: 2010-09-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: This Country Commercial Guide (CCG) presents a comprehensive look at Burma?s commercial environment through economic, political and market analyses. The CCGs were established by recommendation of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a multi-agency task force, to consolidate various reporting documents prepared for the U.S. business community. Country Commercial Guides are prepared annualy at U.S. Embassies through the combined efforts of several U.S. governement agencies.
Source/publisher: Prepared by U.S. Embassy Rangoon, Burma Yangon, Myanmar
1995-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: A Memo on the Economic Situation in the Union of Myanmar in early 1994 with Special Attention to Kachinland and Shan State. After years of isolation, Burma has recently made some tentative steps towards economic opening and liberalization of the rigidly state-controlled economy. Press reports have described the results of these measures as a "mini-boom" and the presentgovernment actively encourages foreign investment. Having been able to visit areas in the north of the country which have previously been closed to foreigners for over 30 years, I will report in the following memo some of the casual evidence which we could observe. I will also try to asses the solidity of the changes, given the limitations of reliable data and statistical material.Finally I will draw some conclusions for the peace process with the ethnic minorities. My reflections are based on observations and discussions during my trip with a European delegation of Burma friends to Rangoon, Mandalay, Myitkyina and Lashio at the turn of 1993/94 following an invitation by the Kachin Baptist Church. Some of the explanations which I tried to find for my observations are highly speculative and would require greater in-depth studies to be substantiated. Nevertheless, I present them here as food for thought.
Creator/author: Stefan Collignon
1994-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : html
Size: 57.5 KB
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Description: Statement by H.E. Lieutenant-General Tun Kyi, Myanmar Minister for Commerce
Source/publisher: WTO
1996-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary: * The government of Burma is undergoing a critical transition: Before the end of 2010, the military regime that has ruled the country since a palace coup in 1998 will hold an election based on a constitution drafted in a nondemocratic process and approved by a referendum in 2008. The referendum fell far short of global standards of credibility and the election is likely to yield a government that neither the antimilitary movement nor the international community views as legitimate. However, the constitution and election also may offer opportunities for further international involvement that began in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. * Burma's lagging economic performance--socioeconomic indicators placed it among the world's most impoverished in 2000--is due to a simmering internal conflict based on ethnic and religious differences. Successive military regimes after the failure of Burma's parliamentary government in 1962 have managed to further alienate the population and monopolize the benefits of Burma's abundant natural resources. Growth-disabling economic policies and brutal suppression of dissent since 1988 have caused an exodus of political and economic refugees estimated to be in excess of 3 million. * However, Burma occupies a strategic space in the Southeast Asian region. It is a major supplier of natural gas to Thailand and could be a major agricultural exporter, as it was before World War II. Also, Burma is arguably the greatest obstacle to the 2015 integration objectives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and its internal conlict contributes to tension between China and India. * There is a glimmer of hope that the next government will consider economic policies conducive to sustainable economic growth, thereby improving the environment for political reconciliation. If so, the challenge for the international community will be to find ways to support economic policy changes in this direction that do not trigger a backlash from the country's military rulers. Though difficult, it may be possible to accomplish this through a patient economic strategy that involves more nuanced use of sanctions and effective collaboration with other actors in the region, particularly ASEAN... About the Report: This report examines the economy of Burma at a crucial moment in Southeast Asia's most troubled country. A low-intensity conflict based on ethnic and religious differences has simmered since independence in 1948. The country's military rulers have been waging an existential struggle with a democratic movement led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi since they repudiated her party's election victory in 1990. Before the end of 2010, an election will be held that is more about transferring power to a new generation of military officers than making a transition to civilian rule. To focus attention on the economic dimension of peacebuilding in Burma, this report draws on the discussion at a day-long workshop sponsored by USIP's Center for Sustainable Economies. The workshop brought together experts on key aspects of Burma's economy and employees from congress and U.S. government departments and agencies directly concerned with U.S. relations with Burma. The workshop sessions focused on macroeconomic policy, the extractive sectors, agriculture, the private sector, trade and investment, and the narcotics economy. Professor Joseph Stiglitz led the concluding session on a more productive agrarian economy.
Creator/author: Lex Rieffel
Source/publisher: United States Institute of Peace
2010-05-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: Abstract: "While natural gas exports have brought a large amount of foreign currency revenue to the Government of Myanmar, their contribution to reducing monetization of the fiscal deficit and disinflation has been obscure. The immediate reason is that under the country's dual exchange rate system, the revenue is converted at the grossly overvalued official rate which undervalues it in terms of the local currency by 1/200. However, devaluation would only improve the fiscal balance and not reduce the excess money supply since the central bank cannot sterilize the impact of the foreign reserve increase. As a policy reform to utilize the revenue for disinflation, this study proposes deregulation of the strict controls on foreign exchange."... Keywords: Myanmar, Disinflation, Natural Resource Exports, Dual Exchange Rates
Creator/author: Koji KUBO
Source/publisher: Institute of Developing Economies (IDE), JETRO
2010-03-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-04-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "As the town of Myawaddy on the Thai-Burma border has grown through increased trade, so too have efforts by local military forces to extract revenue from the workers, traders and travellers who pass through it. With increasing exploitative and military pressures in the surrounding rural areas, many local villagers have also joined the ranks of those seeking economic refuge—or just opportunities to work or buy and sell goods—in town and across the border. Villagers in the area live under a motley patchwork of political and military authorities that operate over 20 checkpoints along the Asian Highway between Myawaddy and Rangoon. At each checkpoint transport trucks and passenger vehicles must pay tolls while travellers may be searched and forced to give ?donations? or ?tea money? to inspecting soldiers. Fixed tolls and ad hoc extortion are used to support the checkpoint itself and the military personnel controlling it. This report includes information collected in August and September 2009..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Right Group Field Report (KHRG #2009-F17)
2009-10-05
Date of entry/update: 2009-10-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Allein der Handel mit Rubinen und anderen Edelsteinen habe der staatlichen Firma "Myanmar Gems Enterprise" nach offiziellen Angaben zwischen April 2006 und März 2007 Einnahmen in Höhe von 297 Millionen US-Dollars verschafft. Dreimal im Jahr lade Myanmar ausländische Händler zu Edelstein-Auktionen ein. Bei der letzten Versteigerung im März 2007 seien Steine im Wert von 185 Millionen US-Dollars umgesetzt worden. Damit sei die Ausfuhr von Edelsteinen neben dem Handel mit Teak-Holz sowie mit Erdöl und Erdgas, der bedeutendste Devisenbringer des Landes. Gemstones
Source/publisher: Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker
2007-10-15
Date of entry/update: 2008-05-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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Description: The inheritors of years of junta mismanagement will face a hard task rebuilding an economy wrecked by incompetence, corruption and greed... "The income from Burma?s great natural resource reserves is wasted on costly vanity projects while the population goes hungry and the economy sinks deeper into chaos. That?s the verdict of economists monitoring the impoverished Southeast Asian country, which erupted in mass street protests in the wake of devastating domestic fuel price rises. The military regime running Burma owes the World Bank and International Monetary Fund about US $3.5 billion, but has failed even to respond properly to a proposal by the two institutions to benefit from a debt relief scheme. ?Myanmar could not be assessed [for the scheme] due to lack of available data,” says a World Bank-IMF report. ?The authorities indicated that at present Myanmar will not be participating in the initiative and regret that they will not be able to provide the required data to undertake the assessment of their indebtedness.” In other words, Burma?s economic management is a shambles, said economist and Burma specialist Sean Turnell of Australia?s Macquarie University. ?Burma?s economic miasma is the product of 45 years of inept economic mismanagement under the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) and its predecessors,” said Turnell, in a special report of Burma Economic Watch he has compiled in the wake of the public protests and military crackdown of recent weeks..."
Creator/author: William Boot
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol 15, No. 11
2007-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2008-04-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Economists predict a gloomy economy for Burma in 2008, but that won?t stop the generals from selling off the country?s natural resources... "The Burmese military government?s incompetence and outside influences will further undermine Burma?s economy in 2008, experts forecast—but the generals should be able to keep their bank accounts topped up. High global oil prices, financial mismanagement and the continuing aftershock of last year?s military crackdown will all conspire to make life harder for Burma?s already hard-pressed population...
Creator/author: William Boot
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 16, No. 3
2008-03-00
Date of entry/update: 2008-04-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: ABSTRACT: "Throughout the 1990s and up to 2005, the adoption of an open-door policy substantially increased the volume of Myanmar's external trade. Imports grew more rapidly than exports in the 1990s owing to the release of pent-up consumer demand during the transition to a market economy. Accordingly, trade deficits expanded. Confronted by a shortage of foreign currency, the government after the late 1990s resorted to rigid controls over the private sector's trade activities. Despite this tightening of policy, Myanmar's external sector has improved since 2000 largely because of the emergence of new export commodities, namely garments and natural gas. Foreign direct investments in Myanmar significantly contributed to the exploration and development of new gas fields. As trade volume grew, Myanmar strengthened its trade relations with neighboring countries such as China, Thailand and India. Although the development of external trade and foreign investment inflows exerted a considerable impact on the Myanmar economy, the external sector has not yet begun to function as a vigorous engine for broad-based and sustainable development."... Keywords: Myanmar (Burma), international trade, cross-border trade, foreign direct investment, economic development, development cooperation PDF filepdf(274KB)
Creator/author: Toshihiro Kudo, Fumiharu Mieno
Source/publisher: Institute of Developing Economies (IDE Discussion Paper 116)
2007-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2008-04-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Report to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs..."India and China are both characterized by a tremendous increase in energy consumption, of which an increasing share derives from imports. Very rapid economic growth always makes it difficult to arrive at a sound balance between demand and supply, and this tends to generate waste, bottlenecks and insecurity. Although both countries are trying hard to provide appropriate energy, increase their energy efficiency, and diversify their sources of supply, they are becoming increasingly dependent on imported oil, and the Persian Gulf is set to remain their predominant source of oil in the coming decades. Instability in the Middle East thus poses a serious challenge to the security of China and India, just as it does for Japan, the US and many European countries. The question of maintaining a stable supply of fossil fuels poses several security challenges. One is to boost one?s own production, another to diversify one?s sources of import, and a third to secure the transportation of oil and gas on vulnerable sea routes; or over land through pipelines that depend on long-term strategic relationships with the producing countries. In China and India a heightened awareness of the geopolitical implications of energy supply and demand has given energy issues an increasing prominence both in their domestic and foreign policies. However, it is difficult to say if this leads to more tension in their foreign relations or if instead it pushes them towards increased international cooperation. Plans are certainly being made for future possible ‘resource wars?, but emphasis is presently being put on economic competition, and on seeking to maximise each country?s position on the international energy market. Then again, such increasing resource competition may contribute to raising the stakes of conflict in areas where national jurisdiction has not been resolved (East China Sea, South China Sea), and also in some of the energy exporting countries. Burma is one such country, in which the energy security dynamics of India and China are played out, and this is detailed in an appendix to the report. The report is based on available literature, online energy data, and communication with Indian and Chinese researchers. We have used country reports and statistics provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), statistics, forecasts and analyses by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), unpublished academic papers, books and articles by Indian and Chinese researchers, and reports by several European and American analysts. Based on our assessments of the energy security strategies and interests of the major players in the region, the report outlines three scenarios for the future of international relations in Asia. The first, called ? is the most positive and also, in our judgment, the most likely. The second scenario, ?, presents a possible embargo against China, and is perhaps the least likely, at least in the near future. The third scenario, ? presents the nightmare scenario of a full scale ? with global impact and serious consequences for India and China. The situation in Iraq, and especially the ongoing developments with relation to Iran?s nuclear programme, force us to say that this scenario is not just a fantasy fiction, but a real possibility, even in the short term. The final section of the report offers suggestions as to implications of the outlined scenarios for Norwegian foreign policy formulation. Four areas of cooperation that would improve energy security in China and India, as well as globally, are identified: 1) support for the promotion of energy efficiency, 2) assistance in the development of clean coal and gas technology for electricity production, 3) a campaign for engaging the world?s great powers in a major research effort to develop transportation technologies that do not depend on oil, 4) assistance in the nomination and promotion of Indian and Chinese candidature for IEA membership..."
Creator/author: Stein Tønnesson, Åshild Kolås
Source/publisher: International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO)
2006-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2007-11-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: �hnlich der Entwicklung der politischen Verhältnisse lassen sich auch in der wirtschaftlichen Ordnung bemerkenswerte Parallelen zwischen der vor- und der postkolonialen �ra in Burma beobachten. Am auffälligsten ist dabei die Tradition einer dirigistischen Wirtschaftspolitik. Soziale Verhältnisse; History of Economy; Social conditions
Creator/author: René Hingst
Source/publisher: Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung
2007-10-00
Date of entry/update: 2007-10-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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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: Burma?s former capital is still the country?s commercial hub... The sudden relocation of Burma?s capital may have sent government officials and Burmese civil servants moving north to Pyinmana, but for those involved in business Rangoon is still the center of Burma?s commercial universe. The new capital?s largest port and its main airport. While Pyinmana remains cut off from the outside world, the former capital has direct international flights to such cities as Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei..."
Creator/author: Clive Parker
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 14, No. 5
2006-05-00
Date of entry/update: 2006-12-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Überblick Wirtschaftsentwicklung 2005, Wirtschaftsstruktur und -lage, Wirtschaftsklima, Offenheit gegenüber der Weltwirtschaft, Aktuelle Wirtschaftsentwicklung und konjunkturelle Lage, Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zu Deutschland, Wirtschaftspolitik, Fiskal- und Geldpolitik, Finanzsektor, Strukturpolitik, Verschuldung und Wechselkurspolitik, Umsetzung von IWF-unterstützten Reformprogrammen economic development in 2005, monetary policy, economic relation Germany, world economy
Source/publisher: Bundesagentur für Außenwirtschaft - bfai
2006-05-15
Date of entry/update: 2006-08-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Deutsch, German
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Description: Abstract: "More than 15 years have passed since Myanmar embarked on its transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-oriented one. The purpose of this paper is to provide a bird-eye?s view of industrial changes from the 1990s up to 2005. The industrial sector showed a preliminary development in the first half of the 1990s due to an ?open door” policy and liberalization measures. However, a brief period of growth failed to effect any changes in the economic fundamentals. The industrial sector still suffers from poor power supplies, limited access to imported raw materials and machinery, exchange rate instability, limited credit, and frequent changes of government regulation. Public ownership is still high in key infrastructure sectors, and has failed to provide sufficient services to private industries. What the government must do first is to get the fundamentals right."... Keywords: Myanmar (Burma), transitional economy, industry
Creator/author: Toshihiro Kudo
Source/publisher: Institute of Developing Economies, Discussion Paper No. 38
2005-10-00
Date of entry/update: 2006-07-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "This report is a public document, prepared in June 1997 and released in September 1997 by American Embassy Rangoon. All statistics in this report are unofficial Embassy estimates, not official U.S. Government statistics. That is, they are compiled and reviewed only by Embassy officials, not by U.S. Government officials in Washington, even though they largely originate from the Government of Burma, from the governments of Burma's trading partners, or from such international financial institutions as the IMF and World Bank, as indicated by source notations in the appended statistical tables, and by the section on sources and data. Similar reports are prepared and distributed to the public annually, separately or as part of an annual Country Commercial Guide, by most American embassies throughout the world, in compliance with standing instructions from, and following a standard format specified by, the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce. This report is intended chiefly for economists and financiers; except for its first section, "Major trends and outlook," it is highly technical and sometimes redundant, intended to serve largely as a reference work...I. Economic trends and outlook:- -- Major trends and outlook: -- Major trends; -- 1996/97 economic performance; -- Economic outlook... -- Principal growth sectors: --Tourism; -- Defense; -- Agriculture: -- Paddy (unmilled rice) cultivation; -- State procurement of paddy; ; -- Rice exports; -- Beans and pulses... -- Remaining structural issues in the agricultural sector; -- Living conditions in the agricultural sector; -- The government's role in the economy: -- Historical background; -- The extent and limits of economic liberalization since 1988; -- Fiscal developments; --Non-financial expenditures; -- Non-financial receipts; -- Fiscal balances; -- External financing; -- Domestic financing; -- Errors and omissions; -- Monetary developments; -- The exchange rate regime; -- Exchange rate movements; -- Recorded money supply growth; -- Recorded money supply composition; -- Recorded domestic credit and domestic reserves; -- Recorded net foreign assets (foreign reserves); -- Aggregate price inflation; -- Balance of payments; -- Merchandise trade data and balances; -- Recorded merchandise exports; -- Recorded merchandise imports; ; -- Non-factor services trade; -- The overall trade balance; -- Unrequited private transfers (workers' remittances); -- Foreign direct investment; -- Other recorded cash financial inflows: grants, loans and other; -- External debt, debt service, arrears and debt relief; -- Aggregate external accounts: the flow of funds; -- Errors and omissions: unrecorded external flows; -- Narcotics exports and other foreign exchange rents and their real exchange rate effects; -- Infrastructure situation; -- Human infrastructure: education and health; -- Physical infrastructure; -- Use of uncompensated labor in infrastructure projects; -- Major infrastructural projects; II. Political environment; -- Nature of the bilateral relationship with the United States; -- American concerns: human rights violations, narcotics exports; -- U.S. Government activities and policies; -- Private investment, trade and travel; -- U.S. direct investment in Burma; -- U.S. exports to Burma ; -- U.S. imports from Burma; -- Travel and migration; -- Major political issues affecting the business climate ; -- Brief synopsis of the political system, schedule for elections, and orientation of major political parties; Note on sources, data and method; -- Recent improvements in publicly available economic data; -- Remaining flaws in the publicly available economic data; -- The statistical basis and methodology of this report; List of commonly used abbreviations... Appendix: Statistical Tables; --Table A: Socio-economic profile; -- Tables B.l.a - B.3.c: National income accounts (GDP and GNP); -- Table C: Aggregate price indicators; --Tables D l.a-D.6: Balance of payments accounts; -- Tables E.l.a - E.2: Monetary accounts; -- Tables F.I - F.2.b: Flow of funds accounts; -- Tables G.1.a-G.6: Public sector finance accounts.
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Rangoon
1997-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2005-05-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 978.83 KB
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Description: Statistische Angaben über die gesamtwirtschaftliche Entwickling sowie die Entwicklung in den Bereichen Finanzpolitik und Kapitalmarkt, Agrarwirtschaft, Bergbau und Energie, Verarbeitende Industrie, Handel, Banken und Versicherungen, Verkehrswesen, Telekommunikation und Medien, Tourismus, Außenwirtschaft. Quelle: ADB Economic development in 2003, various aspects, source ADB
Creator/author: Marco Bünte
Source/publisher: Institut für Asienkunde
2004-07-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-11-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Deutsch, German
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Description: Abstract: In this paper, an extensive report on the economy of Myanmar prepared in 1998 is supplemented by more recent reports as of fall 2002 (included as appendices). The economy of Myanmar is one of the poorest in South East Asia. Despite relatively rapidly growth during the 1990?s, per capita income by 1998 was little higher than in the middle 1980s. Inflation rates are high, the currency value has fallen sharply, and Myanmar has one of the world?s lowest rates relative to income of government revenue and non-military spending. Agriculture in Myanmar has an unusually high share (59%) of GDP. Despite a high reported growth rate, yields for most food crops have remained stagnant or dropped. Poor price incentives and credit systems constrain agricultural production. As of 1998, farm wages are barely enough to provide food, with nothing left over for clothing, school fees, supplies, or medicine. Environmental problems including deteriorating water supply and diminishing common property resources further impact the poor. Industry suffers from limited credit, fluctuating power supplies, inflation and exchange rate instability. A possible bright spot is offshore gas potential. However, much of the expected revenue from offshore gas development may already have been pledged as collateral for expenditure prior to 1998, and thus will go primarily to service debt. Recent evidence summarized in a paper by Debbie Aung Din Taylor (Appendix 3) indicates that most people in rural areas are much worse off today than a decade ago. Decline in agricultural production is aggravated by severe degradation of the natural resource base. River catchment areas are denuded of forest cover, leading to more frequent and severe flooding. Fish stocks and water supplies are diminishing. These trends are pervasive and reaching a critical level. Assistance is urgently needed to provide the rural poor. Sustained international attention is needed to reverse the current rapid decline of economy and environment.
Creator/author: David Dapice
Source/publisher: Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
2003-05-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-09-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Zaw Oo is one of the directors of the Washington-based think-tank, The Burma Fund. In a written reply to The Irrawaddy, he discussed sanctions and some of the factors behind Burma?s economic uncertainties... Question: For years, experts have warned that Burma?s economy is teetering on collapse and many now expect that tougher sanctions enacted by the US will deliver the final blow. Others say the informal economy and border trade will keep Burma afloat. What is your assessment? Answer: In Burma, we have a sizeable informal economy that parallels the official economy. Sanctions hit the official side of the economy and hit the government hard. Sanctions have a negligible impact on the informal economy, where most Burmese make a living. Therefore, sanctions have damaged some of the government?s main income sources but spared the wider population. Because of the large informal sector, we won?t see the economy collapse in the near term..."
Creator/author: Zaw Oo
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 11, No. 9
2003-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-01-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "An Indonesian scholar compares the development experiences of Thailand, Burma and Indonesia. Priyambudi Sulistiyanto?s Thailand, Indonesia and Burma in Comparative Perspective reflects on the 1990s debate on "Asian values." His study of the three economies looks at whether authoritarian governments—sheltering policy-making from social pressures—promote rapid economic development or whether development is best achieved through democratization and a robust civil society. The author shows that the old debate was over-simplified, especially when defined as a choice between the Western "neo-classical" market model and the social-economic dirigisme of East Asian states..."
Creator/author: Donald M. Seekins
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 11, No. 9
2003-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-01-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Burma: Fairer Handel, ›Deglobalisierung‹ und andere Alternativen? Eine Diskussion von Walden Bellos Konzept der De-Globalisierung und Lokalisierung angewandt auf Burma. Warum sind die Ideen der globalisierungskritischen Bewegung derzeit auf Burma nicht anwendbar? key words: anti-globalisation, fair trade, military / state economy, neo-liberalism,
Creator/author: Alfred Oehlers, Deutsch von Gudrun Witte
Source/publisher: Südostasien Jg. 19, Nr. 1 - Asienhaus
2003-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-01-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Deutsch, German, English
Format : pdf
Size: 51.25 KB
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Description: Abstract: "This paper looks at the case of Myanmar in order to investigate the behavior and welfare of rural households in an economy under transition from a planned to a market system. Myanmar?s case is particularly interesting because of the country?s unique attempt to preserve a policy of intervention in land transactions and marketing institutions. A sample household survey that we conducted in 2001, covering more than 500 households in eight villages with diverse agro-ecological environments, revealed two paradoxes. First, income levels are higher in villages far from the center than in villages located in regions under the tight control of the central authorities. Second, farmers and villages that emphasize a paddy-based, irrigated cropping system have lower farming incomes than those that do not. The reason for these paradoxes are the distortions created by agricultural policies that restrict land use and the marketing of agricultural produce. Because of these distortions, the transition to a market economy in Myanmar since the late 1980s is only a partial one. The partial transition, which initially led to an increase in output and income from agriculture, revealed its limit in the survey period."...There are 2 versions of this paper. The one placed as the main URL, which also has a later publication date, seems to be longer, though it is about 30K smaller.
Creator/author: Ikuko Okamoto, Kyosuke Kurita, Takashi Kurosaki, Koichi Fujita
Source/publisher: IDE ( Institute of Developing Economies) Discussion Paper No. 23
2004-03-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-12-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...La plupart des signes d'alerte précoce d'une déstabilisation radicale sont présents en Birmanie. Ils comprennent le déclin de l'économie, des dépenses disproportionnées pour la défense, une armée surdimensionnée et peu disciplinée, des violations généralisées des droits de l'Homme, l'accroissement de la polarisation des revenus, la dégradation de l'environnement et la guerre civile. La décision des dirigeants de l'armée en 1988 de rechercher des solutions militaires aux problèmes politiques, d'abandonner la tentative de gouverner en équilibrant les forces intérieures du pays et de chercher à la place des soutiens militaires et financiers de l'extérieur pour imposer leur ordre au peuple birman, a mal tourné. Les rentrées financières attendues ne se sont pas matérialisées. Après avoir liquidé les actifs disponibles de façon immédiate et après avoir échoué dans ses projets économiques tels que les exportations de riz et l'Année du Tourisme, le Slorc est à nouveau proche de l'insolvabilité. Si le Slorc ne peut pas écarter l'option militaire prise en 1988 et s'engager dans d'authentiques négociations tripartites avec l'opposition politique et avec les organisations des groupes d'ethnie non-birmane et demander ensemble une assistance internationale, une nouvelle détérioration économique et une déstabilisation aggravée semblent probables. Un scénario pourrait être une désintégration générale du pays en une mosaïque de seigneurs de la guerre et de troupes ethniques rebelles, en étendant le système déjà pratiqué dans les territoires frontaliers. Les implications de ce scénario doivent être prises au sérieux par le Tatmadaw, qui prétend maintenir l'unité nationale, mais aussi par les voisins de la Birmanie et par la communauté internationale."
Creator/author: David Arnott
Source/publisher: Relations Internationales & Stratégiques No. 27, Automne 1997.
1997-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-08-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: French, Francais
Format : pdf
Size: 118.9 KB
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Description: "This Country Commercial Guide (CCG) presents a comprehensive look at Burma?s (Myanmar?s) commercial environment, using economic, political and market analysis. The CCGs were established by recommendation of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a multi-agency task force, to consolidate various reporting documents prepared for the U.S. business community. Country commercial guides are prepared annually at U.S. embassies through the combined efforts of several U.S. Government agencies..." 1. Executive Summary... 2 Economic Trends and Outlook -Government Role in the Economy -Major Trends and Outlook -Major Sectors -Balance of Payments -Infrastructure... 3 Political Environment � -Brief Synopsis of Political System -Nature of Bilateral Relationship with the United States -Major Political Issues -Business Policy -Scope of Sanctions... 4 Marketing US Products and Services � -List of Newspapers and Trade Journals -Advertising Agencies and Services -IPR Protection -Need for a Local Attorney... 5 Leading Sectors for US Exports and Investment... 6 Trade Regulations, Customs and Standards -Barriers to Trade and Investment -Trade Regulations... 7 Investment Climate/US Investment Sanctions -US Investment Subject to Sanctions -Status of Investment -Executive Order -Sanctions Regulations... 8 Trade and Project Financing -Description of Banking System -Foreign Exchange Controls Affecting Trade -Availability of Financing -List of Banks... 9 Business Travel -Travel Advisory -Visas, International Connections -Customs, Foreign Exchange Controls... 10 Economic and Trade Statistics: Appendix A: Country Data; Appendix B: Domestic Economy; Appendix C: External Accounts - Trade and Payments; Appendix D: Investment Statistics; 11 US and Country Contacts... Bibliography.
Source/publisher: US Commercial Service
2003-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 276.51 KB
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Description: The price of vegetables has doubled. Burma has not escaped the economic fall-out from the attacks on the United States and Washington?s war on terrorism. The fall in consumer confidence in America will also affect Burma?s exports to the US, while the general downturn in international travel will have an adverse impact on Burma?s tourist industry. The latest symptom of financial crisis has been a run on the country?s large kyat notes. "No one wants to hold thousand or five hundred kyat notes for fear that the government is planning to withdraw them from circulation," said a Burmese businessman...
Creator/author: Larry Jagan
Source/publisher: BBC
2001-11-19
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Aung Thu Nyein explores the possible positive and negative impact that the process of globalization may have on Burma. While globalization has the power to weaken the regime, its may also work against efforts to rebuild Burma in the future. He points out that this aspect of globalization is under scrutinized by the opposition.
Creator/author: Aung Thu Nyein
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 8, No. 4-5
2000-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: In the early 1990s Burma seemed on the verge of an economic boom, but gross economic mismanagement and a vastly overvalued currency have brought the country?s economy to its knees.
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 5. No. 4-5
1997-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Report prepared by the U.S. Embassy, Rangoon, released September 1998.Chapter I -- Executive Summary Chapter II -- Economic Trends and Outlook; Chapter III -- Political Environment; Chapter IV -- Marketing U.S. Products and Services; Chapter V -- Leading Sectors for U.S. Exports; Chapter VI -- Trade Regulations and Standards; Chapter VII -- Investment Climate; Chapter VIII -- Trade and Project Financing; Chapter IX -- Business Travel; Chapter X -- U.S. and Country Contacts; Chapter XI -- Bibliography.
Source/publisher: US State Dept.
1998-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Although reports from the military government paint a rosy picture of Burma as a prosperous modernizing nation, numerous signs indicate that the country�s economy is in dire straits. ... When reading Burma�s state-run newspapers, however, it is sometimes hard to remember that Burma is one of the most impoverished nations on the globe. Leafing through the pages of the regime�s principal mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, the reader is swamped with articles detailing the implementation of countless development projects�including new hospitals, dams and schools�that the ruling generals in Rangoon say lend credence to their mission of building a new and prosperous nation..."
Creator/author: Tony Broadmoor
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 10, No. 6, July-August 2002
2002-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Burma is in the grips of a national depression, and unless something is done to treat it soon, a full recovery could become nearly impossible. Everybody suffers from depression at some time in life. Intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure and rejection can afflict us all, even though we each handle our own difficult experiences differently. Even entire nations can experience depression. In 1929, the United States plunged into the Great Depression, which lasted a decade. This event was more than just a profound economic slump: It left a lasting mark on America?s national psyche. It also demonstrated that even enormous power offers little protection against the mood of the times. No country is invulnerable to the vicissitudes of life; but if a country is fundamentally strong, it can emerge even stronger from the experience of depression. In the case of Burma, however, the onslaught of depression has been relentless. The country?s people have suffered under the effects of misrule for decades, and still cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel. Especially since the mid-1970?s, the lot of the average Burmese has worsened almost day by day, so that now they are at their lowest point ever..."
Creator/author: Maung Maung Oo
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol 9. No. 7
2001-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Burma?s tottering economy is suffering from a tax system crippled by corruption and desperately in need of reform... Many of Burma?s citizens do not pay tax. In fact, Burma has one of the world?s lowest ratios of tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The ratio has declined since the mid-1990s, as reports from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) indicate. Government revenues or taxation were at 7.8 percent of GDP in 1997-98 but dropped to a low of 2.3 percent in 2000-01. The ADB attributes the decline to a relatively slow increase in tax receipts. But government officials at the Finance and Revenue Ministry have quietly admitted to The Irrawaddy that the drop is mainly the result of overestimating the GDP, part of the regime?s propaganda drive to gloss over the nation?s economic woes. Failing state economic enterprises and growing public sector imports, notably defense imports, have left the junta with a large fiscal deficit. So now the question is: How can it attract new revenue or new taxes to fill the growing holes in the budget?..."
Creator/author: Min Zin
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 11, No. 3
2003-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Crisis" has become a popular byword in any description of Burma. The country�s economic calamities have now led to social instability and havoc. Basic commodity prices have doubled since late August. Ongoing closures of border crossings with Thailand has compounded the shortage of goods and forced consumer prices to spiral out of reach for many people in Burma. Even in Rangoon, individuals have to line up for cooking oil until late at night. Some sleep in queues while waiting to buy small rations..."
Creator/author: Editorial
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 10. No. 7, September 2002
2002-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: January 08, 2003—"During Burma?s time as a Socialist state, citizens were prevented by foreign exchange proceed laws to possess any foreign currency. Minor adjustments were made to this situation after 1988 when the military junta allowed a number of businessmen to open foreign currency accounts at two state-owned banks: the Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and the Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB)..."
Creator/author: Danu Maung
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Commentary Archive
2003-01-08
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Creator/author: Editorial
Source/publisher: \"The Irrawaddy\", Vol. 6. No. 1
1998-02-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: " Burma has come to resemble the former Soviet regime, and we are presently witnessing the same economic and social chaos. The Burmese junta continues to build up its military, despite agreeing to peace with 17 ethnic armed groups. Needless infrastructure projects have been launched one after another, while people in the streets are saying: "Who needs these roads and dams? You can?t eat them or buy food for us."... It seems from the regime?s perspective that the nation?s economic and social problems can be solved by pampering white elephants in their elaborately decorated stables at Min Dharma Hill..."
Creator/author: Danu Maung
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Commentary Archive
2002-12-26
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: OVERVIEW; THE ECONOMY; DECISION-MAKING & THE FAMILY INCOME; CULTURAL STEREOTYPES REGARDING WORK; RURAL WOMEN; FORCED LABOUR; EDUCATION & WORK OPPORTUNITIES; WOMEN IN THE PAID LABOUR FORCE; THE CIVIL SERVICE; THE INFORMAL SECTOR; THE PRIVATE SECTOR; LACK OF INFORMAL & PRIVATE SECTOR REGULATION; THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY; FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS;
Creator/author: Brenda Belak
Source/publisher: Images Asia
2002-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 979.48 KB
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Description: "Visitors to Burma notice that everyone, even trishaw peddlers, want to be paid in U.S. dollars -or coupons called FECs, or Foreign Exchange Certificates. After all, the local currency known as kyat is hyper-inflated and loses value almost daily. As one Burmese told the author, the successful mohinga [soup with noodles] seller down the street "buys gold every evening because she?s afraid of the money." The FECs are an attempt by the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) to overcome that lack of confidence in the currency - and provide a linchpin for a supposedly "open-market economy" as a medium of exchange and a store of value..."
Creator/author: Kyi May Kaung
Source/publisher: "Burma Debate" Vol. IV, No. 2, March/June 1997
1997-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : html
Size: 6.43 KB
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Description: In January 1996, a group of Burmese economists began a series of discussions on Burma?s economy. Their report, "Economic Development of Burma: A Vision and a Strategy," was recently presented to a select body of peers at the Center for International Private Enterprise in Washington, D.C. Professor Khin Maung Kyi, one of the leading members of this research group, speaks to Burma Debate about his views on the report.
Creator/author: Khin Maung Kyi
Source/publisher: "Burma Debate", Vol. IV, No. 2
1997-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.34 MB
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Description: Economic mismanagement could bury Burma?s fragile recovery. Judging the condition of the Burmese economy has always been a bit of a guessing game, but these days, even seasoned analysts are at a loss to describe the desperate state of things. "Last year the economy hit rock bottom," said one long-time economic observer based in Rangoon. "But now it seems to be going even lower."
Creator/author: Neil Lawrence/Rangoon
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 8, No. 7
2000-07-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Burma?s ruling generals and educators of the country?s future economic elite appear to have different ideas about the most appropriate model for Burma?s economic development.
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 8. No. 6
2000-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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