Myanmar’s Union Parliament on Wednesday approved a US$483.8 million (660 billion kyats) loan from the Asian Development Bank (ABD) for an expressway that is a part of the international East West Economic Corridor (EWEC). The project hopes to link Vietnam’s port of Da Nang and Thilawa port in Yangon, passing through Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. […]
Chinese company, university to jointly build Lancang-Mekong int’l institute in Myanmar
April 24, 2019 by
A Myanmar branch of a Chinese mining company and a university from China’s Yunnan Province reached a cooperation framework agreement in Yangon Tuesday on building the Lancang-Mekong International Vocational Institute in Myanmar. The signing ceremony between the Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd (Myanmar) and Yunnan Minzu University for the establishment of the institute and the company’s […]
Parent of Myanmar’s Mediaload secures series A funding
March 26, 2019 by
Cambodia-based Groupin, an internet startup, has secured US$5 million in a series A funding round from Belt Road Capital Management (BRCM), a Mekong-focused private equity company, a released stated last Monday. Groupin claims that it is the largest funding round in history raised by a Cambodian tech startup. The firm is founded by four siblings, […]
Upgrade infrastructure to attract global manufacturing, GMS told
February 14, 2019 by
There is a significant need for Mekong region countries to upgrade their infrastructure to take on a larger share of global manufacturing, said Sok Siphana, chairman of independent Cambodian think-tank Asian Vision Institute (AVI). “The promotion of the free flow of goods, services, investment and skilled labour within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) could further […]
IFC report recommends alternatives to high-risk Myitsone
January 3, 2019 by
A government-sponsored study warned against restarting the highly controversial Myitsone dam and recommended alternatives to develop the country’s hydropower sector. The final version of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector, supported by the energy and environment ministries and authored by the International Finance Corporation, has been published. The SEA involved a range […]
Draft law for foreigner-only casinos in Myanmar: report
August 23, 2018 by
A bill that would authorise in principle the setting up of foreigner-only casinos in the Southeast Asia state of Myanmar was submitted to the lower house of the country’s legislature on Tuesday, the Myanmar Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. The Gambling Bill 2018 is said to include amendments to an existing statute, the Gambling Act […]
Reducing Conflicts Between Hydropower And Fish Can Lower Investment Risk
February 19, 2018 by
Fish commute, just like many of us do. And when the route of commuting fish — migrating sometimes hundreds of miles up a river to spawn — runs into a hydropower project, that can spell trouble. For people, not just fish. Especially if the fish provide the greatest source of protein for your country’s population, […]
Belt and Road is not the only game in town
July 6, 2017 by
Belt and Road is not the only game in town for Myanmar. Without doubt, the scheme is important and relevant; nonetheless, it is just part of the opportunities Myanmar has access to. The government, businesses and other stakeholders should act decisively to seize the opportunities, within and beyond the Belt and Road. In the past, […]
Myanmar-Thailand to solve East-West Economic Corridor connectivity bottlenecks
February 9, 2017 by
Myanmar has accepted Thailand’s 1.8-billion-baht project to improve its Thaton-Ein Du highway, a section of the East-West Economic Corridor, and asked the latter to improve other roads along the corridor. The move is in line with the Thai cabinet’s approval on Tuesday for the Highways Department to conduct the task, and both countries would form […]
Tachilek on an e-Visa
January 20, 2017 by
Chiang Rai, 17 January 2017: Travel to the Mekong Region is often called the ‘last frontier,” but with a littler effort the frontier hassles can be rolled back for the determined traveller. A phrase coined to conjure up the mystique of travel ironically identifies the major snag for travellers to the Greater Mekong Sub-region; frontiers. […]
