A social venture in Myanmar is boosting farm outputs with customized technologies and giving loans for seasonal migration to raise incomes in one of the world’s poorest countries. Proximity Designs, which was set up in 2004 in the country’s commercial hub Yangon, focuses on farming, on which more than two-thirds of the population relies to […]
Boat Builder Floats New Business to Tap Island Tourism Boom
With tourism booming in southern Myanmar, residents of Myeik in Tannitharyi Region are finding ways to benefit by filling niches in the industry. Ko Thein Zaw Min, managing director of Mergui Dolphins, one of 40 tour companies in the area, has found a way to do this by opening a boat-making workshop. The number of […]
Plans to Accept $79M French Loan Shelved
NAYPYITAW—The Union Parliament on Thursday voted down the government’s proposal to receive loans worth 70 million euros ($79.3 million) from the French Development Agency (AFD). Just 34 votes were in favor of the proposal and 497 against, with six abstentions despite the deputy minister for planning and finance attempting to convince lawmakers that the project […]
Foreign banks allowed to set foreign currency loan interest rate
The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) said foreign banks are free to set their own interest rate as long as those loans are in foreign currencies. Foreign banks with branches in the country are now allowed to do wholesale banking services and other financial services, according to the latest Directive issued by the CBM last […]
Mother Finance set to transform credit access in Myanmar
Access to credit will no longer be a problem for Myanmar people thanks to an innovative consumer lending application which allows anyone with a smartphone to easily apply for a loan regardless of their financial records, according to Theta Aye, founder and chief executive of Mother Finance Co. “Our goal is to serve unbanked customers […]
Myanmar accepts loan from Italy as foreign debt rises
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has approved a €30 million interest-free loan from Italy which will be used to provide electricity to villages in Chin State and other rural areas in Myanmar. Under its agreement with Italy, Myanmar will begin repaying the loan over a period of 10 years starting 2036. The repayment amount will be €3 million […]
MADB to help fuel growth across entire agriculture supply chain
Attempts will be made to lower interest rates at the Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank (MADB) so that it is able to support the entire agriculture supply chain, according to U Kyaw Win, Union Minister for Planning and Finance. He said that in the 50 years during which MADB has provided loans to farmers, the sector […]