In 2011, Myanmar entered a phase of democratic transition. As the country emerges from decades of authoritarianism, ethnic armed conflict, contentious civil-military relations, and entrenched poverty, it has a remarkable opportunity to move toward democracy, sustained economic development, and lasting peace. Successfully managing the transition requires more effective policymaking. This report provides an introduction to […]
Managing Change: Report on Executive Policymaking in Myanmar sponsored by Asia Foundation
May 12, 2018 by
Myanmar: Asia’s Final Frontier Car Market
March 6, 2018 by
Earlier this month I spent four days in Myanmar, the proud and reclusive nation of 52 million sandwiched between India, China and Thailand. My purpose: Work with officials in the Myanmar government to develop plans for a competitive auto industry. The timing could not be better: Fast-emerging and increasingly affordable EV and autonomous vehicle technologies […]
Myanmar’s business confidence plummets as policy uncertainty bites: survey
December 19, 2017 by
YANGON (Reuters) – Business confidence among entrepreneurs in Myanmar dropped “drastically” this year due to unclear economic policy, a survey shows on Tuesday, amid growing frustration over leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s management of the fledgling economy. Suu Kyi has identified economic reform as a key goal to complete Myanmar’s democratic transition after decades of […]
Tussle over Myanmar bank reform puts spotlight on debt pile
November 29, 2017 by
NAYPYITAW (Reuters) – Myanmar’s central bank has backed off from a demand that the country’s private banks clear most of their loan books by January, averting a cliff-edge scenario that some bankers warned could have destabilized the financial system. Myanmar’s central bank deputy governor, Soe Thein, told Reuters that three years – instead of the […]
Myanmar moves to stave off credit crunch
October 3, 2017 by
NAPYITAW — Myanmar’s banking system is facing tough new regulations that could take more than $1 billion worth of local currency out of circulation, severely curtail lending and badly hurt the economy if a tight compliance deadline is not eased, senior bankers have warned. The Central Bank of Myanmar published its first set of modern […]
Laukkai casinos thrive under military
December 4, 2015 by
Despite nine months of military rule and being declared illegal, the notorious casinos of Laukkai are still thriving in the conflict-torn region on the border with China. In their crisp uniforms, the hundreds of young men and women who work as croupiers have become a well-recognised symbol of the town. Police officers of the Kokang […]
What Burma’s general election means for British business
November 12, 2015 by
Burma, the last major territory among the world’s most populous 25 countries to emerge from an extended period of enforced isolation, goes to the polls on Sunday in its first openly contested general election since 1990. More than 90 parties are standing in the election, the first since a nominally civilian government was introduced in […]
Doing good in Myanmar is a murky business for foreign aid groups tied to powerful elites
December 11, 2014 by
YANGON, Myanmar – Staff hired to work with the U.S. government’s aid agency in Myanmar are preparing to move out of their office following revelations their landlord is a notorious former spymaster who oversaw the imprisonment and torture of thousands of pro-democracy activists. The debacle surrounding Development Alternatives Inc., a company contracted by USAID to […]
