Interview:Ken Tun What current projects are being considered to bolster rural electrification efforts in Myanmar for the coming years? KEN TUN: The World Bank has devised a plan to electrify the whole country by 2030, which would require approximately $3bn per year in investment, given current transmission, distribution and generation shortages. However, rural communities cannot afford to wait…
Interview: Simeon Preston What steps can the insurance industry take to improve penetration and density levels? SIMEON PRESTON: In the initial phase of market development, customers will need strong inducements and incentives to participate in long-term savings and protection. On the supply side, product offerings must be simple and clear, with propositions ensuring full customer understanding at…
Viewpoint:Barack Obama When I was first elected in 2008, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was still under house arrest. And because – in part of advocacy by the US and others in the international community, but more importantly, because of the courage and strength and resilience of the Myanmar people – what we have seen over the last several years is a transition to democratic elections; a representative…
Viewpoint:President U Htin Kyaw Anniversaries offer us opportunities to look back and take stock of our achievements and to chart our way forward. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has evolved from a small group of only 26 partners at the first summit, which was held in Thailand in 1996, to 53 partners today. Look at this as a reflection of the ever-growing interest that countries in both regions…
Viewpoint:U Win Khaing The construction sector is going through a reform process under the new government, with particular emphasis on quality control and the rules, regulations, codes and standards that govern the sector. The institutional framework required to drive this new approach puts the Ministry of Construction in the driver’s seat, and there are a number of institutions, both governmental…
Viewpoint:Dr Myint Htwe The slogan of the National League for Democracy is “Time for Change”. This is the current theme of the country from several perspectives, and health is no exception. As per this slogan, we should not be afraid of changing things at any level, whether it be technical, administrative, managerial or logistical, because such changes will enable us to improve our health…
Viewpoint:U Win Thin Myanmar’s Internal Revenue Department (IRD) has begun the journey towards a self-assessment tax system. First opened was a Large Taxpayers’ Office and later, to accommodate smaller taxpayers, Medium Taxpayers’ Offices (MTOs) 1, 2 and 3, and a Small Taxpayers’ Office were also opened to cope with the growing need of this group. These tax offices will furnish income…
Viewpoint:Daw Aung San Suu K In 1948, when Burma became independent, we established a parliamentary democracy. And, at that time, we could say that we were one of the foremost countries in Asia to have adopted parliamentary democracy. However, the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Time and chance happen to us all. Time and chance happened to our country and we lost…
Viewpoint:Cheah Swee Gim A series of exhilarating changes took place in Myanmar in 2016, from the installation of a new democratic government in April 2016 with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the helm to the lifting of two decades of economic and financial sanctions by the US. Changes are not just taking place in the political sphere. The legal landscape is also keeping pace, with game-changing legal…
The business environment is set for dramatic improvements after several burdensome trade restrictions were lifted in 2016. Most notable for foreign investors was the US government’s move to end sanctions on seven state-owned companies and three state-owned banks, with US President Barack Obama promising to further ease sanctions, even as a number of new companies were added to the sanctions…
