As Myanmar prepares for yet another round of peace talks with ethnic armed groups, all eyes are on China. With all the Western outfits involved in Myanmar’s peace process effectively sidelined, China has emerged as the only outside force that matters due to its substantial leverage over both insurgents and the government. Unlike Western interlocutors, […]
Myanmar Has One of The Lowest Tax Takes in The World
November 21, 2017 by
INSIDE a noodle house in central Yangon, business is buzzing. Customers huddle over tables, slurping down chicken soup or gobbling dumplings. Everyone pays in cash. Few customers ask for receipts. When your correspondent does so, one is handed over, complete with government-issued stickers. But the cost of the meal goes up. On the vast majority […]
Japanese-style visualized books make studying fun in Myanmar
July 13, 2017 by
YANGON–First-grade children here are finding studying more fun with Japanese-style highly visualized textbooks replacing their word-packed, picture-scarce old ones. The new textbooks have been adopted from the start of Myanmar’s new school year in June and are the first upgrade in about 20 years, thanks to a project spearheaded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency […]
Myanmar braces for 30% drop in foreign investment
March 28, 2017 by
Foreign investment in Myanmar appears poised to plunge roughly 30% for the year ending March 31 amid the absence of new oil and gas projects, highlighting the need for the government to lure other industries with deregulation and firm economic policy plans. Myanmar received about $6 billion in foreign direct investment during the 11 months […]
Myanmar Fishery Export Income Set to Double
March 8, 2017 by
THOUGH MYANMAR’S fishery export income took a dive for three straight years until 2015, industry players hold high hopes to rebound, given the slight increase last year and the potential continuation of growth this fiscal year ending on March 31. In FY2011-12, Myanmar could generate US$705.9 million (Bt24.7 billion) from fishery exports, after dropping […]
The Wartime Supply Road That Became Myanmar’s Thriving Trade Route
October 12, 2016 by
YANGON — As trucks barrel down the well-paved road between Mandalay and the southwest of China, few of the men working on the construction sites lining the road probably realize that it was once a vital wartime supply route. As Myanmar’s overland tradewith China expands, the roadis now being revived as a bustling trade artery between the two countries. In Mandalay, […]
