General reports and articles
Websites/Multiple Documents
Description:
''This page contains resources on all aspects of economic infrastructure needs and activities across Myanmar. The aim of this page is to provide actors across the sector with information that will enable greater coordination, transparency, and efficiency. This page includes situation updates and analysis, information on inter-agency coordination and activities under implementation, relevant thematic maps and publications, and also key technical guidelines and resources related to Myanmar’s economic infrastructure...''
Source/publisher:
Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU)
Date of publication:
1970-01-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-02-07
Grouping:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
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Individual Documents
Description:
"Myanmar’s economy continues to show resilience despite the ongoing global slowdown and domestic uncertainties, according to a new World Bank report released today.
The Myanmar Economic Monitor for December 2019 estimates that Myanmar’s economy grew at 6.3 percent in 2018-19, marginally higher than 6.2 percent in 2017-18. Economic growth is expected to reach 6.4 percent in 2019-20, helped by growing investment in the transport and telecommunications sector and planned infrastructure spending by the government before the 2020 elections.
The service sector is the main driver of growth in Myanmar and is expected to grow by 8.4 percent in 2018-19. A slow recovery in tourism related services is offset by robust growth in wholesale and retail trade. The industrial sector is expected to grow by 6.4 percent, on the back of strong manufacturing growth offsetting slower growth in construction. Despite seasonal floods and volatile demand, agriculture output growth is projected to be stable at 1.6 percent, with greater diversification in production and export destinations, but remains below potential..."
Source/publisher:
"Modern Diplomacy"
Date of publication:
2020-01-18
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles, Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, Burma/Myanmar's Foreign relations, general
Language:
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Description:
''Questions around investments in Mon State are heating up these days. The Economic Affairs Reviewing Committee of the Mon State Parliament has announced that, within the next few months, all investments within the state will come under official inspection. As Dr. Aung Naing Oo, Vice-Chair of the Mon State Parliament, explained, this inspection is coming about due to concerns about the recent inflow of investments to the state. “Although the Union Parliament allowed permissions, those businesses should be reviewed whether they were beneficial for the Mon State,” he said.1
The favourable position of the Union Parliament towards investments mirrors that of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. Addressing the people of Mon State in a speech at Mawlamyine University last year, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi proclaimed: “Mon is poor, so you should welcome investments in order to secure development.”...''
Source/publisher:
Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication:
2019-02-04
Date of entry/update:
2019-02-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Economy: general, analytical, statistical (Government of Myanmar perspectives), General reports and articles, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
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Description:
"Myanmar?s state-owned economic enterprises
(SEEs) regularly generate approximately 50
percent of the Union?s fiscal revenues and spend
as much in the domestic economy. They operate
in many sectors, from transport to textiles and
banking to natural resources. Through their
regulatory roles, they exert a considerable
influence on Myanmar?s economic composition
and trajectory.
Yet, traditionally, many SEE mandates and
objectives have remained unclear and most
have operated inefficiently by international
standards. Consequently, since the early 1990s,
the government?s stated aim has been to
professionalize, corporatize or privatize SEEs,
often by granting them greater independence.
These efforts have shown mixed results. On the
one hand, many unprofitable SEEs have been
privatized since the socialist era, easing their
financial burden on the Union budget. More
recently, the Hluttaw has taken steps to curb
capital spending by chronic loss-making SEEs..."
Source/publisher:
Renaissance Institute and Natural Resource Governance Institute
Date of publication:
2018-01-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-08-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
more
Description:
"As economic models of development fail to specify when countries should establish stock markets, determining when Myanmar will establish a stock exchange has turned into a guessing game among analysts of its transitional economy.
Growth rates and income standards, while relevant, are not the primary factors that determine an optimal time for start-up. For
Myanmar, the right time will depend on the degree to which a proper regulatory environment is put into place and actual, not rhetorical, commitments to capital markets are made.
Clearly stated rules and regulations for companies that desire to be listed need to be established and the investment community must be convinced that these regulations will be enforced. There will be a need to introduce international accounting standards and specific legal procedures for handling such issues as bankruptcy proceedings. The rights of the stockholder also need to be defined..."
Dennis C McCornac
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times Online"
Date of publication:
2013-09-12
Date of entry/update:
2014-05-29
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
"A recent spate of bombings in Myanmar was attributed by police to local mining businessmen intent on stopping foreign investment. These rogue commercial elements were seemingly worried of the impact on their business interests.
The shadowy assaults, including a bomb that detonated in a room occupied by an American in the Traders Hotel, demonstrates just how complex the climate for investors is in Myanmar. It also reveals how opaque mining interests could derail the peace process underway between the government and armed rebels and jeopardize the country?s democratic transition.
Hype persists over Myanmar?s resource wealth, with the country gearing up for new waves of investment and new mining laws
predicted to shortly come into effect. A recent Asian Development Bank study noted that Myanmar could become Asia?s next "rising star" if it can leverage its rich resource potential. However, regardless of much optimism, difficulties remain and if not addressed could unsettle the peace process.
The most important issue for investors, but also populations living near resources, is the reform of legal and regulatory frameworks. The current uncertainty in these frameworks has undermined the investment climate. Similarly, land tenure must be defined and a sustainable agreement reached with armed ethnic groups for their greater inclusion into the democratic process. Greater transparency is also needed to boost confidence in local actors that remain entangled with military powerbrokers. If such a prudent approach is not achieved, resources could become more of a burden than a boon in the country?s transformation..."
Elliot Brennan
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times Online"
Date of publication:
2013-10-23
Date of entry/update:
2014-05-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements, Economic development asistance to Burm/Myanmar - discussion, Gems, Economic oppression, Extortion, Robbery, Burma democracy movement's international supporters, General reports and articles, Regional economic geometry
Language:
English
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Description:
"Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing.
The international community, whose Western representatives so readily flock to Myanmar in both good will and selfish interest, is often an unwitting contributor to the country?s persistent instability. This will likely lead not to intended peace but to more unwanted war until certain facts are fully faced..."
Tim Heinemann
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times Online"
Date of publication:
2014-01-23
Date of entry/update:
2014-05-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Ethnic groups in Burma: general studies and articles, Land confiscation for military, commercial and other purposes, Economic oppression, Extortion, Robbery, General reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
"...In our assessment of foreign aid to Myanmar, we have pointed to three steps donors can take to make their aid more effective:
Slow down and do more joint operations. To ensure that senior officials are not overwhelmed by visitors, some host countries have adopted formal limits on the number of aid delegations they will receive. It would be better for Myanmar?s donors to act first to control the flow, including an effort to undertake more joint operations. It would be reasonable for donors to commit at least 30 percent of their funding to these types of operations.
Provide scholarships for foreign study. It will take years for Myanmar to raise the standard of education in its universities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) norm, let alone to the prominence it had in Asia when it gained its independence in 1948. To build the expertise Myanmar requires in the short term to meet its development objectives, the only solution is education abroad on a massive scale. One advantage of allocating aid resources to scholarships is that it has the least potential for doing harm.
Be more innovative. A number of techniques for making aid more effective have been proposed since the Paris Declaration was adopted. One of these is ?cash on delivery aid.? This technique has the advantage of reinforcing good management within government ministries, minimizing the administrative burden of aid, and ensuring that every dollar of aid goes to support successful projects. None of Myanmar?s donors appear to be using approaches of this kind.
Lex Rieffel, James Fox
Source/publisher:
Brookings Institution
Date of publication:
2013-03-16
Date of entry/update:
2013-03-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
Summary:
"In the past two years, Myanmar has undergone a remarkable transformation: an unanticipated shift from military to quasi-civilian governance, the election of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the legislature, steps toward peace with ethnic minorities, and economic reforms designed to alleviate poverty. These developments prompted Western countries to suspend or lift wide-ranging political and economic sanctions, which were responses to the regime?s suppression of the democratic opposition and dismal human rights record after 1988. As sanctions were withdrawn, aid agencies and international NGOs rushed to Myanmar to support the Thein Sein government?s reform agenda. The interest in Myanmar among the donor community and the level of aid activity are extremely high, leading some observers to question whether Myanmar is receiving too much attention from the foreign aid community.
On March 14, Global Economy and Development at Brookings hosted a discussion on foreign aid to the new government of Myanmar. Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Lex Rieffel and former USAID Senior Economist James W. Fox presented their new report, ?Too Much, Too Soon? The Dilemma of Foreign Aid to Myanmar/Burma,” which was published by Nathan Associates. Discussion about the report and broader issues followed the presentation and included: Joseph Yun, acting assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and David Steinberg, distinguished professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Alex Shakow, former USAID assistant administrator for policy and program coordination and former executive secretary of the IMF-World Bank Development Committee, moderated the discussion."
Lex Rieffel, James W. Fox, David Steinberg, Joseph Yun, Alex Shakow
Source/publisher:
Brookings Institution
Date of publication:
2013-03-14
Date of entry/update:
2013-03-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
Summary:
"Myanmar is rapidly emerging from half a century of isolation. Over the last two years, the government has made great strides in political and economic reforms and in improving its diplomatic relationship with the international community. Despite these changes, Myanmar faces many challenges in sustaining the momentum of reform and transformation. In addition, the international community has not developed a strategy for working together to assist the country?s progress.
On February 26, Global Economy and Development at Brookings and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) hosted a discussion on the shifting landscape and new challenges in Myanmar as well as the IMF and international community?s role in addressing these. Panelists included: Priscilla Clapp, former U.S. mission chief to Myanmar; Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Lex Rieffel; Anoop Singh, director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund; and Frances Zwenig, president of the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute, Inc. Vikram Nehru, senior associate in the Asia Program and Bakrie Chair in Southeast Asian Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, moderated the discussion."
Vikram Nehru, PRISCILLA CLAPP, Lex Rieffel, Anoop Singh, Frances Zwenig.
Source/publisher:
Brookings Institution
Date of publication:
2013-02-26
Date of entry/update:
2013-03-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
Introduction:
At
the end
of
March
2011,
Myanmar
began
an
ambitious political transition led
by
newly
elected
President
Thein
Sein.
Bold
moves
in his
first
year
included opening a dialogue with
opposition
leader
Aung
San
Suu
Kyi,
suspending
construction
of
the Chinese-funded
Myitsone
Dam,
and
abandoning
a
grossly
overvalued
exchange
rate
in
favor
of
a
market-
determined
rate.
These
moves
unleashed a
swarm
of
visitors
seeking
to
support
the transition
and
?make
a
difference?:
prime
ministers,
foreign
ministers,
heads
of
donor
agencies and
international
NGOs,
chief
executives
of
multinational
corporations,
and many
others.
The
question posed
in this
report
is whether the
outpouring
of
foreign
aid
to
Myanmar
expected
in the
medium
term
(three
to
five
years)
will
be
more
of
a blessing than a
curse.
The
question
may
seem
unfriendly
or
ideological
on
the
surface,
but
merits
being
taken
seriously
because
of
the
experience
of
a handful
of
countries
over
the
past
10
to
15
years
that
have
suffered
from
large
and
rapid
build-up
of
foreign aid.
As
posed,
however,
the
question
is
too
stark.
A gentler
version is:
what
steps
can
be
taken
by
aid
donors
and the
Government
of
Myanmar to
enhance the
effectiveness
of
aid
programs
and
projects,
and
mitigate
possible
adverse
consequences?
Our
report
begins with a
brief
discussion
of
the
dilemma
of
foreign
aid
to Myanmar:
how
it
can
be
harmful
despite
the
best
intentions
of
the
donors.
We then
present
the policy
implications
of
our
findings,
for
the
Government
of
Myanmar
and
for
the
donor
community.
The
next
two
parts
of
the
report
describe
the Government
of
Myanmar?s national planning
process
and the
steps
it is taking
to
manage
foreign
aid.
We then
assess
donor
performance
against
the principles
of
the
Paris
Declaration
and the
Busan
Partnership.
The
last
two
parts
describe
donor
activity in
general
terms
and then individually
for
Myanmar?s
major
development
partners.
In
1989,
the
military
junta
changed the
country?s
name
from Burma
to
Myanmar
and
this
change
was
officially
accepted
by
the
United
Nations.
We
generally
use
Burma
when
referring
to
the
country
before
1989
and
Myanmar
afterwards.
We
have included
four
appendices
with
different
audiences in mind.
Appendix
A
describes
the
historical, political, and
economic
context
for
readers
who
are
not
familiar
with
this
background.
Appendix
B
elaborates
on
the
standards
of
aid
effectiveness
contained in the
Paris
Declaration
and
Busan
Partnership.
Appendix
C highlights lessons learned
from
other
countries
that have
been
challenged
by
strong
donor
interest.
Appendix
D
recounts
newly
independent
Burma?s
first
experience
with national
development
planning, featuring the
work
of
the
American
economist
Robert
R.
Nathan, and calls
attention to
a
comparable Japan-
supported
effort
launched in
2001.
We
should
be
clear
about
the limitations
of our
report
on
foreign
aid
for
Myanmar.
In
particular,
our
knowledge
of
Myanmar
is limited.
Altogether
we
have
spent
less than
six
months
inside the
country
over
the
past
45
years
and
we
do
not
speak
any
of
the
local
languages.
Moreover,
with
our
50-year
perspectives
on economic
development,
we
know
that
the
world?s
leading
experts
are
still
unsure
how
to
explain China?s phenomenal
progress
or
Argentina?s
lack
of
progress. These
experts
are
even
more
unsure
about how
to
adapt
lessons
from
global
experience
to
a
country
like
Myanmar
that
is undertaking a
sweeping
reform
effort
with a
legacy
of
complex
internal conflicts and poverty-inducing governance.
Lex Rieffel, James W. Fox
Source/publisher:
FOR Nathan Associates Inc.
Date of publication:
2013-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2013-03-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ and English, English
Format :
pdf
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497.05 KB
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Description:
"...Among the
questions that this report seeks to address are:
- What principles should donors adhere to in developing expanded
assistance programs for Burma so that they support a genuine
democratization process and structural human rights improvements?
- How should donors think about issues of sequencing and prioritization in
their assistance programs in order to most effectively support
democratization and ensure the deepening and broadening of reforms?
- What does ?country-directed assistance? mean in the intensely politically
contested context of Burma? What is the role of the National League for
Democracy and other important non-state actors, and how should
donors interact with them? Are Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD merely
one of many civil society stakeholders in a multi-stakeholder
environment or do they have a privileged role, possibly on par with or
even more legitimate than that of the government?
- What kind of delivery mechanisms will most effectively promote
transparency, accountability, strengthened local capacity, national
reconciliation, and continued political reforms? How can these objectives
be effectively maintained as assistance scales up in size and scope?
- What is the appropriate role of multi-lateral institutions in the current
Burmese context, particularly given the weak postures that some have
demonstrated in the past? How can they balance their preference for
working directly with government institutions with concerns about
instrumentalization and genuine involvement of Burmese civil society?
- How can responsible donors balance and, potentially, bridge their
external Burma programs (i.e. in Thailand, India and Bangladesh) in a
way that both supports political reforms in Burma and retains support
for those who are currently unable to return to Burma to take part in
these processes?
Through the analysis and recommendations developed in this report, Project
2049 Institute hopes to provide the donor community some reference points as it
develops responsible interventions in a unique and important context. Given the
long-time policy advocacy by most key donor countries in support of
democratization and national reconciliation in Burma, the current environment
creates enormous potential for positive synergies between assistance and policy,
as well as dangers that abrupt policy shifts that could undermine both. As this
rapidly evolving situation continues to move forward, Project 2049 hopes that
this report will serve as a new baseline for an ongoing dialogue about how the
donor community can effectively support the simultaneous advance of
sustainable political reform and economic development in Burma..."
Kelley Currie
Source/publisher:
Project 2049 Institute
Date of publication:
2012-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2012-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General reports and articles
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
942.2 KB
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