The falling value of the Myanmar kyat versus the US dollar could make repaying external debt harder for the government in the coming fiscal year. In 2018-19, it is expected to repay K877 billion out of the $9 billion Myanmar owes to foreign creditors, according to the budget submitted for the period. That amount may […]
Chinese manufacturers eye Myanmar base as trade war escalates
Myanmar stands to gain from the ongoing trade spat between China and the US, U Than Aung Kyaw, deputy director general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), said yesterday. Interest to set up manufacturing and production facilities in Myanmar among the Chinese has risen ever since the US this month imposed a […]
Myanmar turns attention to Asian travellers as European markets decline
With Asian markets dominating in the face of declining European arrivals, Myanmar tourism players are shifting their focus to intra-regional travellers. The Asian market accounted for 70 per cent of international arrivals to Myanmar in 2017. Growth in the market is led by Vietnamese visitors, with a 75 per cent year-on-year increase at Yangon International […]
Interbank cash transfers available with single ATM card next year
Money transfer services will be available through a single ATM card from next year onwards, U Mya Than, non-executive director and former chair of Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), told The Myanmar Times. With a single ATM card issued by any of the 23 local banks under the MPU network, users will be able to perform […]
Tariffs and policies: The crux of Myanmar’s power problem
In 2017, Myanmar is projected to generate a maximum of 2,700 megawatts of electricity, up from around 2,500 MW in 2016, as the population expands and demand for power in the country continues to rise. Yangon, its largest city, is expected to generate almost half, or 1,300 MW of the country’s maximum electricity demand for […]
As the World Moves to Renewable Energy, Myanmar Will Follow
YANGON — The government has been pushing plans for coal-fired power plants to address Myanmar’s great need for electricity. Renewable energy expert Hans-Josef Fell talks about how Myanmar can develop its energy plan. Fell is a former parliamentarian in Germany and the current president of the Berlin-based Energy Watch Group. The Myanmar government has been […]