Asian drinks giant Kirin said it has halted dividend payments from its beer business to its Myanmar military-owned partner Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company (MEHL) amid an independent probe and concerns from investors. The suspension stops Kirin and MEHL, and their shareholders, from receiving profits from joint ventures Myanmar Brewery and Mandalay Brewery. Kirin’s Myanmar […]
‘Tip of the iceberg’: finance minister pledges to address illicit trade
October 18, 2019 by
Smuggling is costing the government heavily in lost revenue; poor enforcement means that for every 5,000 cans of beer brought into the country illegally, only one is seized. THE ANTI-Illicit Trade Forum did not begin like your typical conference or workshop. When Minister for Planning and Finance U Soe Win and Auditor General U Maw […]
F&N returns to Myanmar market with Emerald Brewery
October 3, 2019 by
CONSUMER group Fraser and Neave (F&N) has commenced operations of Emerald Brewery Myanmar, marking its return to the Myanmar beer market. Emerald Brewery, a joint-venture between F&N and local partners, has established a greenfield brewery located in Hlegu Township in Yangon, to brew Chang Lager Beer. F&N previously exited the market when it sold a […]
Maker of Special Reserve Whisky to launch new products
March 5, 2019 by
Sanjay Gupta, CEO of Myanmar Distillery Co Ltd (MDC), which bottles Grand Royal whisky, one of Myanmar’s most iconic brands, is seeing a shift in alcohol consumption trends in the country. “Health is becoming more important to people. People prefer staying in control and drinking in moderation. Inclusive family values are rising in importance and […]
ThaiBev restructures to power Asean beer push
October 10, 2018 by
THAI Beverage Plc (ThaiBev), Thailand’s biggest beverage producer, yesterday announced a major strategic reshuffle of executives under a revamped management structure that will back the company’s growth ambitions for its beer business in the Asean region. The restructuring was undertaken in the wake of the company’s acquisitions of breweries in Myanmar and Vietnam. Fraser and […]
Retailers hit with liquor import ban
October 9, 2018 by
Liquor retailers are no longer allowed to sell imported brands, as it is a violation of Ministry of Commerce regulations. The ministry hasn’t allowed the import of alcohol, beer and cigarettes, except by duty-free shops and a few high-end hotels, since the days of the military government. However, the General Administration Department under the Ministry […]
MIC issues 13 new business permits in August, including one for beer
September 8, 2017 by
The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) has approved the issuance of 13 permits, including one for a beer joint venture in Mandalay. Eight foreign businesses and 5 Myanmar citizen businesses were approved at a recent 12/2017 meeting, according to Deputy Director General of Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) U Than Aung Kyaw. This includes […]
Tuborg turnaround for Carlsberg
January 22, 2016 by
Carlsberg has caved to complaints from the family of a famous Mandalay singer, who say the Danish brewer used the title of one of his hits as the name for Tuborg Beer in Myanmar. “In light of the claims of the relatives of the late Sayar Myoma Nyein and the general debate about the […]
Live cattle top Myawaddy export list
October 23, 2015 by
OF the nearly 40 billion baht (US$1.1 billion) worth of trade that passed through the Mae Sot and Myawaddy border posts last fiscal year, about 90 percent, or 36 billion baht worth, represents exports from Thailand to Myanmar, according to Thai statistics. The Thai fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Thai customs […]
Heineken’s Foot in the Door
October 15, 2015 by
Last Friday’s launch of Heineken Beer in Myanmar marked the official entrance of the Amsterdam-based giant’s flagship brand, but the company’s place in the market will require years of strategy and legwork. With a newly-built factory in Hmawbi township, the conglomerate has already begun selling their brews for weeks, time enough to test the market […]
