Rapid urbanisation and robust economic growth have had a notable impact on urban mobility in Yangon. Traffic congestion is rising to become an increasingly pressing concern for businesses and commuters, especial as the city’s population is set to grow from 7.4m in 2017 to more than 10m people by 2030. The government is currently undertaking reforms to streamline and consolidate its massive public…
With the ultimate goal to increase tourism across Southeast Asia, Myanmar is exploring the “two countries, one destination” concept, which seeks to cross-promote tourism with both Cambodia and Thailand. Officials in Myanmar would like to emulate Thailand’s success in attracting foreign tourists – some 32m in 2016 – while Thailand’s operators recognise that Myanmar’s unspoilt landscape…
After Myanmar began the transition to democracy, international tourism was not the only segment that thrived. Following decades of restrictions on domestic movement, local people are now largely free to explore the country. This has allowed domestic tourists to travel to previously closed regions to visit family and to make pilgrimages to holy sites, such as pagodas and monasteries that used…
This chapter gives an overview of Myanmar’s legal system, examining recent developments such as the New Companies Law. This section also outlines investment rules and incentives for foreign input, as well as a new banking regulation enabling the formation of a credit bureau. It also contains a legal framework viewpoint from Cheah Swee Gim, Director, Kelvin Chia Yangon.…
This chapter offers suggested hotel listings for business and leisure travellers, and contact numbers for a variety of local services and associations. It also offers useful tips for first-time visitors to the country.…
This chapter gives an overview of Myanmar’s tax regime, focusing on key developments including the New Company Law and the extension of the self-assessment system implementation. Draft Revenue Appellate Tribunal law changes are also examined in this chapter. It also contains a tax viewpoint from U Win Thin, Chairman, Win Consulting.…
To capitalise on the potential of its young and education-hungry population, the Myanmar government is working to rebuild its public education system at every level. Passing the appropriate legislation as well as further opening the sector up to new international partnerships and foreign investors will likely be necessary to achieve this, as will continued investment in infrastructure and learning…
Myanmar is slowly emerging as a tourism destination in a region that is a favourite among travellers worldwide. It has a wealth of attractions to draw visitors from abroad, including Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda and many other diverse cultural and historical sites. One of the main challenges is developing the accompanying tourism infrastructure and ensuring an adequate skills base to keep pace with…
Stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Andaman Sea in the south, Myanmar’s diverse terrain offers a wealth of untapped mineral resources. Following the easing of international sanctions and major legal reforms, the authorities now have the opportunity to rehabilitate some of the mines that were neglected during the socialist period. Despite the risks, grey areas and bottlenecks, Myanmar’s…
